CO2 Game Manual v1.2

Game Manual
written by
Dave “Arjuna” O’Connor

with original contributions by
Richard “simovitch” Simonitch ,
Mark “MarkShot” Kratzer and
Steve “Golf 33” Long
© 2015 Panther Games. All rights reserved. Command Ops is a trademark of Panther Games. All other trademarks and trade names are the
properties of their respective owners and Panther Games makes no claim thereto.
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Copyright Panther Games Pty Ltd 2015. All Rights Reserved.
GAME MANUAL
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Contents Use the Battlemap
Pan and Zoom the Battlemap
36
36
Identify Terrain Types 37
Basics 9
Assess Line Of Sight (LOS) 38
Start the Game 9
Check the Weather 40
Run in a Specific Screen Resolution 9
Identify Impassable Terrain 40
Start a New Single-Player Game 10 Determine Best Path 42
Select Scenario 10 Unit Info Filter 44
Set Scenario Options 11 Unit Filter 45
Load a Single-Player Saved Game 12 Intel Filter 45
Save a Game 14 Message Filter 46
Auto Save 15 Command and Supply Lines 48
Play a Multi-Player Game 16 Range Rings 50
What You Will Need 16 Miscellaneous Buttons 51
Find an Opponent 16 Menu 52
Get Connected 16 Surrender/AAR 52
Setup Multiplayer Game 19 Work Out What You Have to Do to Win 53
Begin the Game 21 Review Your Briefings 53
Firewalls, Internet Connection Sharing & Port Display the Objective List 53
Forwarding 22 Find Objectives on the Map 54
Set Sound Volume 23 Work with Units 55
Minimise 24 Select Units 55
End a Scenario 24 Use the Order of Battle (OB) Display 59
Quit the Game 24 Extended Force Icon Info 62
Offset Unit Icons 63
How to Play the Game 25
Change Force Footprinty Style 63
Introduction 25
Command Your Units 65
Read the Game Screen 25 Issue Orders 65
Manage Dialogs 25 Specify Order Settings 68
Open Dialog Using the Toolbar 26 Delete Orders 75
Open Dialog Using the Context Menus 26 Modify Orders 75
Close a Dialog 29 Issue New Orders 78
Reposition a Dialog 29 Group and Ungroup Units 78
Update the Data 30 Move Your Forces 80
Sync Selection of Forces 30 Seize an Objective 82
Speed in Multi-Player Games 31 Understand How an Attack Works 82
Run Until 32 Set a Specific FUP 84
Offer or Accept Surrender 32 Launch a Basic Attack 84
Offer surrender 32 Specify the Settings for an Attack 87
Accept surrender 32 Launch a Complex Attack 89
View Messages 33 Launch a Probe 92
Navigate Map Messages 35
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GAME MANUAL
Hold an Objective 93 Mixed-Mode Movement 151

Defend a Location 93 The performance of a unit across differ-
Delay the Enemy Advance 93 ent types of terrain is determined by the
Withdraw to Safety 96 unit Mobility Type. 151
Engage the Enemy 97 Objectives, Orders, and Tasks 153
Fire at the Enemy 97 Objectives 153
Bombard the Enemy 98 Orders 158
Target an Airstrike 102 Unit Tasks 160
Secure, Deny and Construct Bridges 103 Understanding Game Processes 161
Deny Crossing 103 Planning 161
Secure Crossing 104 Getting Orders and Issuing Tasks 161
Construct Bridge 106 Developing the Plan 162
Automated Bridge Building 107 Reassessment 165
Exit Your Units Off the Map 108 Reactions 165
Resupply Your Units 109 Intelligence 166
Review Unit Supplies 109 Spotting and LOS 166
Determine Supplying Base 109 Assessing a Sighting 167
Review Unit Supply and Supply Line Status 110
Supply 169
Review Depot Data 112
Ammunition 169
Review Supply Arrival Schedule 113
Fuel 169
Get Your Units Back in Supply 115
Basics 169
Rest and Wake-up Your Units 116 Resupply 169
Recover Cohesion 116 Movement 172
Deploy, Dig-In, Entrench, and Fortify Your Units 117 Formation Movement 172
Stop Your Units from Moving 118 Single-Unit Movement 172
Prevent Stationary Units from Changing Facing Combat 173
118 Direct Fire 173
Check for Enemy Threats 119 Area Fire 174
Work with Orders Delay 120 Night, Weather and Visibility 176
How Orders Delay is Calculated 120 Victory 176
Plan When to Issue Orders 121
Avoid Causing Replans 122 Interface – Screen by Screen 177
Startup Screen 177
Understanding Game Elements 124
Single-Player Windows 178
The Map 124
Scenario Selection Window 178
Units 125 Game Options Window 178
Combat Class 125
Multiplayer Windows 180
Military Structure 125
Multiplayer Host Setup 180
Unit Names 129
Multiplayer Client Setup 180
Force Data Display 138
Network Game Setup 180
Combat Effectiveness 144
Dialogs 182
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Controls Dialog 182
Orders Dialog 183
Tools Dialog 184
Objectives (Obj) Dialog 185
Briefing ( Brf ) Dialog 186
Reinforcement ( Reinf ) Dialog 186
Supply ( Sup ) Dialog 187
Fire Support ( FS ) Dialog 187
Order of Battle ( OB ) Dialog 187
Message ( Msg ) Dialog 188
Plan Dialog 188
Force Data View (FD) Dialog 189
Task Edit (TE) Data Dialog 191
Task View (TV) Data Dialog 191
Crossing Point (CP) Data Dialog 191
Toolbar 192
The AAR/Victory Screen 192
Modding 193
Scenarios and Maps 193
Graphics 193
Sounds 194
Annex A – Keyboard Shortcuts 195
Annex B – Formation Effects 198
Annex C – Understanding Military Symbols 199
Annex D – Unit Types and Symbols 200
Annex E – Terrain Effects Chart 201
Annex F – Other Tables 203
Glossary 206
Credits 211
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GAME MANUAL
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Basics
Start the Game
 Select the game from the Start menu and select your preferred resolution from the Startup Options dialog
or simply choose the default “Match Current Screen Resolution” option.
Run in a Specific Screen Resolution
Command Ops 2™(CO2) is designed to run at one of the 9 preset resolutions

or to match the current screen resolution . However, you can run the game
at any resolution from 1366×768 to 3200×1990. To do this you must change
the shortcut used when the game is launched:
 Right click on the Start button on the task bar and select Explore
 Locate and open the Command Ops 2 folder
Note this may vary depending on where you have installed it.
 Duplicate the Command Ops 2 Quick Start shortcut by right-

clicking on it, selecting Copy, then right-clicking on an empty space
in the same area and selecting Paste.
 Right-click on the new shortcut and select Properties
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GAME MANUAL
 In the Target: field, scroll to the end of the line, add a space, then add the text ‑resolution 1440x1024
(replace the numbers with the width and height of your desired resolution)
For example, if you want to run the game with the screen set to 1440 pixels wide and 1024 pixels high, you would
add the text -resolution 1440x1024. If you have a default install, the complete contents of the Target: field would
read:
 “C:\Panther Games\Command Ops 2\CmdOps.exe” ‑resolution 1440x1024

 Click OK
 Launch the new shortcut and CO: BFTB will run in the resolution you have selected.
You might want to rename the shortcut afterwards to match the resolution you have selected.
Start a New Single-Player Game
Select Scenario
 On the Startup Screen, select New Game to open the Scenario Selection screen
Left and right click the Module button to navigate to the different data modules (scenario packs). Doing so will
refresh the list of scenarios. These are sorted by name by default. Click on the Sort button to sort by Start, Duration
or Active Unit Count. If you click on an entry in the list, a Situation Awareness Map (SAM) appears at the top right
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and a description appears at the bottom right.
The SAM provides operational context for the scenario,

showing where the battle takes place in the bigger
picture. It also provides a bit of information about
where the front lines are and what forces are in play.
It is designed to be viewed from a neytral perspective
and should not include information that only one side
would know.
If there is no SAM for the scenario then the default

SAM image will appear.
 Select the desired scenario from the list and

either click OK or double-click the scenario name to
open the New Scenario Options window.
Set Scenario Options
From the New Scenario Options window:
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GAME MANUAL
Select a Side
 Click the Play As button
Set the Orders Delay
 Move the Orders Delay slider to the desired

level of orders delay
See Work with Orders Delay and Orders Delay for

more information.
Select the Weather Schedule
 Click on one of the four Weather buttons
See Weather Options for more information.
Select the Reinforcement Schedules
 Click on the Axis Reinforcement Schedule button until the desired schedule appears
 Repeat for the Allies
See Reinforcement Options for details.
Select the Supply Schedules
 Click on the Axis Supply Schedule button until the desired schedule appears
 Repeat for the Allies
See Supply Options for details.
Start the Game
 Select Begin Scenario
A progress window will appear while the scenario is loaded.
Load a Single-Player Saved Game
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 On the Startup Screen, select Load Game to open the Choose a Saved Game to Play dialog,
 While playing a game, select the Menu button on the Display toolbar
 From the Game Menu dialog click the Load Game button
Then from the Choose a saved game to play dialog:
 Select the desired saved game from the list and click Open, or
 Double-click the desired saved game
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GAME MANUAL
As you are starting a previously saved game, there are no options you can alter. A progress window will appear
briefly while the saved game is loaded. For single-player games, you will not be able to select which side to play
– only the side you played when saving the game will be available.
Save a Game
While playing the game:
 Press Ctrl + S keys + or
 Select Menu from the Display Toolbar and
 Select Save Game from the Game Menu
This will open the Save Game As window.
 Type in the desired file name, or
 Select a previously saved game from the list to save over the top of it
 Select Save
Your game will be saved and the game screen will be displayed again.
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Auto Save
To automatically save the game every 5 minutes of real time:
 Select Menu from the Display

Toolbar and
 Select Options from the Game

Menu
 Check the Auto Save box on the

Options dialog
Note that this works in both single and

multi-player games. The game will save
even if it is paused or minimized. The
game will be saved as AutoSave.cog and
will be overwritten by the next auto save.
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GAME MANUAL
Play a Multi-Player Game
What You Will Need
To play CO: BFTB against another human, you’ll need the following:
 An Internet or Local Area Network (LAN) connection to an opponent with the same version of the
game
 The Internet Protocol (IP) address of the player who will Host the game
An IP address is a number (in the format www.xxx.yyy.zzz) that uniquely identifies your computer on the Internet
or a LAN. For internet connections this is usually assigned by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). CO: BFTB
provides an easy way to find out your IP address (see Get Connected) for most setups; if you run into trouble,
contact your ISP for assistance.
Please note that there is a difference between your local IP address ( as used within your LAN ) and your public IP
address ( the one you use for connecting to the internet ). Often the IP address displayed on your machine is your
local address – eg 192.168.0.2. Use a website like www.whatismyip.com to determine your public IP address.
Find an Opponent
You can find someone to play against any way you like (common methods include e-mail, IRC, and Instant
Messaging). There are various websites that maintain a register of potential opponents, including The Wargamer
(http://www.wargamer.com). You can also use the included BattleHQ software to locate an opponent and set
up a game. In choosing which player should host the game, remember that it’s better to have the more powerful
machine hosting.
Get Connected
Host a Game
So you’ve lined up an opponent and arranged to be the host.
 Select Host from the Startup Screen
 Enter your name into the Multi-Player Host Setup dialog and click OK
The Network Game Setup dialog will now appear. Status information about your connection is shown below the
Choose Saved Game button.
As the host, you need to tell your opponent your IP address. This is displayed at the bottom right of the Network
Game Setup window. If you’re playing over the internet:
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 Click the Copy To Clipboard button to copy the IP address
 Paste it into an email or instant message and send it to your opponent
 Wait for your opponent to log in
When your opponent has logged in, a message will appear in the chat log. While you are waiting for your opponent,
you can select a scenario or saved game to play.
Join a Game
The other player has a simpler job - tell your host that you’re interested, and then start the game, click join, enter
the host’s IP address.
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GAME MANUAL
If you are loading a saved game, both players will need a copy of the saved game file to play. One player will need
to email this to the other – it doesn’t matter which player. Saved games can be quite large, so it’s a good idea to
use WinZip®, WinRAR® or a similar compression program to reduce the file size before emailing the saved game.
When resuming a saved game, you may be prompted to enter a password; this helps to prevent cheating and also
guards against accidentally picking the wrong sides when setting up to play.
So you’ve arranged for your opponent to be the host, and you have your Host’s IP address.
 Select Join from the Startup Screen
 Enter your name and the IP address of the Host into the Multi-Player Client Setup dialog and click OK.
The Network Game Setup dialog

will now appear. You cannot change
any of the settings. The Host does
this.
Exchange Chat
You can exchange messages with your opponent. These messages will appear in the Chat log. To send a message:
 Enter your message in the Chat box and press the Enter key
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Setup Multiplayer Game
Choose New Multiplayer Scenario
For the hosting player, setting up

a new multi-player scenario is
just the same as starting a single-
player scenario ( see Starting a
New Single-Player Game ).
You will be presented with the
Scenario Game Setup screen.
Note that on the right, below the
Choose Saved Game button you
can see that no scenario or saved
game has been chosen yet and
you are waiting for an opponent.
You don’t need to wait for an
opponent to setup the scenario
or saved game.
 Click Choose Scenario
 From the Scenario

Selection screen, select
the desired scenario
from the list
 Hit OK
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GAME MANUAL
This will take you back to the

Netwrok Game Setup Screen,
which will now be seeded with
the scenario data.
Choose Multiplayer Saved Game
As an alternative to starting a new multiplayer

scenario you can restart a saved game. The
saved game must be a multiplayer save not a
single player save.
 Click Choose Saved Game
 From the Choose a saved Game

to Play screen, select the desired
saved game from the list
 Hit Open
Note both players must choose the exact same saved game. It is recommended that the host email the client their
saved game and that the client places this in their Saved Games sub directory.
Choose Side
Once your client joins you will see two Side buttons with the host assigned to one and the vlient to the other.
 Click either Side Selection button to swap sides
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Multiplayer Scenario Options
 Set scenario options

just as you would for a
single-player game
The joining player cannot select

a scenario or set the scenario
options.
Begin the Game
Once your opponent has been

logged in and a scenario or saved
game chosen, you are ready to
start. This will be shown in the
connection status information
under the Choose Saved Game
button. To start playing,
 Select Begin Game
Both players will be prompted to

enter a password for the game. If you save the game, this password will be required to start playing the saved game,
so make sure you write it down!
 Enter a password (it is case-sensitive)
 Confirm password
 Click OK
Depending on the size of the scenario and the speed of your machine it may take
some time for the scenario to load. The following message will appear. Please
be patient.
Also note that while in solitair play game events are processed immediately, in multiplayer they are of necessity
stored and transmitted to the other machine for processing. Hence there may sometimes be a short lag, depending
on your network speed. Moreover, when the game is paused, things like the Air Strike counter won’t be updated
until the game is started running again.
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GAME MANUAL
Exchange Messages During Multi-Player

Games
To send a message:
 Hit the Enter key
 Type your message
 Use Backspace to erase the last

character
As you type your message, it will be displayed at the

bottom left of the Battlemap.
 Hit Enter again to send the

message to your opponent0.
The chat messages then appears in the message list at

the top left of the Battlemap.
Firewalls, Internet Connection Sharing & Port Forwarding
You will need to configure your router to ensure that access to port 1944 is permitted. You do this by configuring
Port Forwarding using the software that comes with your router or firewall. By way of example, here is a setup for
a machine with an IP address of 192.168.0.2 connecting via a Billion router.
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Some firewalls may not allow you to open or close a particular port but will allow you to grant access to certain
programs – if you have one of these firewalls, you should give Command Ops 2 both Access and Server permissions
for the Internet Zone. Depending on your firewall, you may not be able to host multi-player games even if you have
given Command Ops 2 these permissions, but you should be able to join without problems.
Reconnect
If for any reason connection between the host and the client is lost then:
 Reconnect - see Get Connected
 Load the last saved game you had - see Choose Multiplayer Saved Game
When playing multi-player:
 Save early, save often or

 Turn on Auto-Save - see Auto-Save .
Set Sound Volume

To increase or decrease the volume of game sounds:
 Select Menu from the Display Toolbar and
 Select Options from the Game

Menu
 Drag the red marker to the

desired level in the Volume
Controller of the Options dialog,
or
 Click one or more times on the

Plus or Minus buttons, or
 Click on the Volume Controller

notch that represents your
desired sound level
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GAME MANUAL
Minimise
 Select Minimise from the Display toolbar
The application will then be minimised and a button appear in the Windows Taskbar.
To maximise / expand the application:
 Select the Command Ops button in the Windows task bar
End a Scenario
To exit a scenario:
 Select Menu from the Display Toolbar
This will display the Game menu in the middle of the screen.
To end the scenario and go back to the Startup Screen:
 Select Leave Game
To end the scenario and go back to the Windows® desktop:
 Select Quit Command Ops
To go back to playing the scenario:
 Select Return to Game
Quit the Game

To quit Command Ops:
 Select Quit Command Ops from the Game menu
See End a Scenario for information on how to quit during a game.
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How to Play the Game
Introduction
Command Ops 2 is the fifth in the Command Ops (formerly Airborne Assault) series of event driven, pausable
continuous time wargames. Since its inception the series has been breaking new ground. While there are many
innovative features we have endeavoured to provide a very intuitive interface. If it looks like it should work this
way then it probably does. Try it and see.
We have also endeavoured to keep things simple, with the complexity “under the hood” ( ie managed by the AI ).
You can play the game very simply as well. In fact in some of the simpler scenarios all you need do is give a few
simple orders and hit the Run button. However, the real joy in playing comes when you get more involved.
As the player you are cast in the role of the senior on-map commander - ie the commander of the senior on-map
unit, otherwise referred to as the “on-map boss”. The on-map boss may change during the course of play as
reinforcements arrive or in the tragic event of the on-map boss being destroyed when the next senior unit takes
charge. Regardless you are always the senior commander.
We encourage you to adopt the perspective of the senior commander. In real life the senior commander would
usually command one or two levels down. So if the senior commander is a Divisional commander, he would issue
orders down to his brigades and battalions. In a few special cases he may give direct orders to companies, but by
and large he leaves their management to his subordinate commanders.
You can trust your AI controlled subordinate commanders to do a reasonable job of implementing your orders
and managing their subordinates. That is the hallmark of the Command Ops game engine.
Read the Game Screen

When the game starts, you will see the game screen on your main monitor. The main area of the screen is taken
up with the Battlemap (see Battlemap ). Along the left edge of the Battlemap, you will see the Controls dialogs.
At the bottom of the Battlemap you will see the Toolbar ( see Toolbar ). The toolbar houses a number of buttons
and controls.
From the left you have the display filters. Use these to turn on and off different overlays or graphical icons or
change the data being displayed in an icon. In the middle you have the dialog buttons. Use these to show or hide
the various dialogs. The All button shows/hides all the dialogs. They act as a toggle - ie if the dialog is open, then
click it to hide it. If it’s not opened, then click it to open it.
Use the Controls dialog to navigate via the StratMap, zoom the battlemap and set the game speed.
Manage Dialogs
With Command Ops 2 we have moved away from the use of the sidebar to display all the data. Instead you now
access data from various dialogs which you open using either the Main toolbar or from the context menu of unit,
order and task icons on the battlemap.
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GAME MANUAL
Open Dialog Using the Toolbar
To open one of the dialogs:
 Click the appropriate button - eg to open the Fire Support dialog click “FS”.
Open Dialog Using the Context Menus
To open a Force Data dialog from the Battlemap:
 If not already selected, select a unit on the map (ie click it)
 Right click on a selected unit
 Select Force Info from the

menu
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To open an additional force data dialog from the Battlemap:
 If not already selected, select a unit on the map (ie click it)
 Right click on a selected unit
 Hold the Shift key down and select Force Info from the menu
Note this will in effect create a duplicate of the first force data dialog. Select another unit and the first dialog will
update with the details for the newly selected unit while the additional dialog will retain the data for the originally
selected unit. Additional dialogs always relate to the unit that was selected when they were created. The first
dialog, however, shows the data for the current seldection.
To open a Force Data dialog from the OB Display:
 Double click the unit in the OB display
To open an additional Force Data dialog from the OB Display:
 Hold the Shift key down and double click the unit in the OB display
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GAME MANUAL
To open an Edit Task dialog:
 If not already selected, select an

order task on the map (ie click it)
 Right click on a selected order

task
 Select Edit Task from the menu
To open an additional Edit Task dialog:
 If not already selected, select an

order task on the map (ie click it)
 Right click on a selected order

task
 Hold the Shift key down and select Edit

Task from the menu
To open a View Task dialog:
 If not already selected, select a plan

task on the map (ie click it)
 Right click on a selected plan task
 Select View Task from the menu
To open an additional View Task dialog:
 If not already selected, select a plan

task on the map (ie click it)
 Right click on a selected plan task
 Hold the Shift key down and select View Task from the menu
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Close a Dialog
To close a dialog, either:
 Click on the Dismiss button at the bottom right of the dialog or
 Click on its button in the toolbar
Note if a data object (force, order, plan task) is deleted for any reason then any opened dialog displaying that object
will remove its data from the dialog. So you may end up with a blank dialog.
Reposition a Dialog
You cannot reposition the Toolbar. To reposition all other dialogs:
 Drag them to the desired location.
Note that the new position will be saved in your preferences. Next time you open the dialog it will appear in
the saved location. This does not apply to additional Unit Data, Edit Task or View Task dialogs. For these only
the position of the first one will
be saved. Additional ones will
be opened offset down and to
the right from the first dialog
position.
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GAME MANUAL
Note by repositioning
additional force data dialogs
you can view the different
tabs together to get a
comprehensive view of the
units data.
Alternatively you can

compare the same data for
multiple units.
Update the Data
For Force Data, Edit Task

and View Task dialogs you
can update the data displayed
in them by selecting another
force, order or plan task from
the map. This allows you to
click on their icons and see
the data for each very quickly.
Note it only works for the first force data dilaog, first edit task dialog and first view task dialog. Additional data
dialogs retain the data of the object originally selected.
Sync
Selection
of Forces
If you select
a unit in the
OB display
it will select
the unit on
the map and
it will update
the data of
the first Force
Data dialog.
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Set Game Speed and Pause
Once the game has loaded and the Battlemap displayed, the game will remain paused until you set a play speed –
called “running the clock”. Once the clock is running, the game will continue to execute until you pause it again.
The speed of play (i.e. the ratio of game time to real time) varies according to a host of factors including the speed
of your computer, the size and complexity of the scenario, the number of units on map, their proximity to each
other, the map area and terrain, the number of currently selected units and tasks, the number of on-map messages
displayed, the screen resolution and so on.
From left to right they are: Pause, Slow, Normal, Fast and Run Until.
 Click one of the Run buttons to start play at the desired speed
To toggle between Pause and the currently selected Run speed:
 Click the left or Pause button to temporarily stop play, or
 Press the spacebar
To increase speed:
 Press the > key or click a faster Run button
To decrease speed:
 Press the < key or click a slower Run button
Some things can make the game run faster or slower:
 Turning off map anti-aliasing can speed up the game (this is a special type of anti-aliasing and is not
affected by video card settings) – see Options Dialog
 Leaving large numbers of units selected while the game runs can also slow the game down
Speed in Multi-Player Games
The speed of play can be set by both players in multi-player games the same way it is in a single-player game – see
Set Game Speed and Pause and Run Buttons.
In a multi-player game, the game will run at the slowest speed chosen by both players. So if you choose Fast but
your opponent chooses Normal, the game will run at the Normal speed. In such a case, you will see the Fast button
depressed but the Normal button highlighted.
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GAME MANUAL
Whenever one player selects the Pause button or presses the spacebar, the game will pause
for both players until that player sets another run speed.
Run Until
To specify a time that the game will run until using the fastest possible speed:
 Press the Run Until button
 Click on the +/- buttons to adjust the time as desired
 Press OK
The game will now run as fast it can, limiting refreshes to every 10 frames or thereabouts. In smaller scenarios this
may appear a little jerky. At the specified time it will automatically pause the game.
While running both the Fastest and the Run Until buttons will be depressed. To view the specified time while the
game is running:
 Roll over the Run Until button
Offer or Accept Surrender
Offer surrender
If you have had enough and want to concede defeat:
 Select the Surrender button on the Display Toolbar
A dialog will appear, asking you to confirm.
 Select the Surrender button.
The AI opponent will always accept your offer to surrender. When you surrender, you will not suffer any more
casualties but you will also not receive any victory points, even if you still hold objectives.
Accept surrender
When playing the computer (or another human), your opponent may assess that it’s a lost
cause and offer to surrender. If this happens, a message will appear in RED at the top left
of the Battlemap offering surrender.
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Note a computer opponent will only offer to surrender if you have a current Decisive win. Check the Victory meter
in the Controls dialog.
Of course you can choose to ignore this and fight to the bitter end. If, however, you want to accept the surrender:
 Select the Accept Surrender button from the Display toolbar
A dialog will then ask you to confirm.
 Select the Accept Surrender button.
View Messages
During the Game you will receive messages from a number of sources. Network and Chat messages will appear
directly on the map at the top. ALl other messages including those from your subordinates will appear in the
Message Log Dialog.
To open the Message Dialog:
 Select the Msg button on the toolbar.
To navigate to the most recent:
 Scroll the list up
To filter out texts of a certain type:
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GAME MANUAL
 Toggle the Flash, Urgent or Routine buttons at the bottom left.
Note that unlike the filters for the on-map messages, the filters for the Message Dialog are discreet - eg Routine
displays only routine messages.
To find the Subject of the rerport on the map:
 Select the entry in the list.
Note
 Messages are not saved when you save a game, so if there is an important message you will need to
remember, write it down
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Navigate Map Messages
To select the most recent message:
 Press the End key
To Move up and down the list:
 Press the Page Up key to select the previous message
 Press the Page Down key to select the next message
To select the sender of the message:
 Press the Home key
This will scroll the Battlemap to display

and select the sender of the message.
However, this will not happen if the
message is one that does not have a
sending unit, such as when airstrikes
are available. When units are destroyed,
selecting the message will centre the
Battlemap on the destroyed unit’s
location but will not select the cross
that’s left behind.
To filter messages by priority ( None,

Routine, Urgent, Flash ):
 Select the Message Filter button

from the Display toolbar till the
desired option is displayed
Note that selecting Routine will display

all messages; selecting Urgent will
display both urgent and flash; selecting
Flash will only display Flash and of
course selecting None will not display
any messages.
35
GAME MANUAL
Use the Battlemap

Note that the gamma of the battlemap will change at dawn and dusk - ie it gets lighter at dawn and darker at
dusk.
Pan and Zoom the Battlemap
The Battlemap may only show a small proportion of the total battle area. The area of the Battlemap currently
displayed is indicated by the Viewable Area rectangle in the Stratmap. This has a white and black border.
To scroll around the map:
 Right-click and drag the Battlemap, or
 Move the mouse pointer to the screen edge to scroll the map in that direction, or
 Drag the Viewable Area rectangle in the Stratmap, or
 Click on the Stratmap outside of the Viewable Area rectangle
36
To zoom in or out:
 Click the left - Zoomer button to zoom out one level or the right + Zoomer button to zoom in, or
 Drag the Zoomer Slide left to zoom out or right to zoom in one or more levels, or
 Hold down the Alt key and left-click on the Battlemap where you want to zoom in, or right -click
where you want to zoom out, or
 Move the mouse scroll wheel up and down to zoom in and out
To reverse the zoom direction of the mouse scroll wheel:
 Check the Reverse mouse zoom item in the Options dialog
Identify Terrain Types
To find out what terrain is at a given location:
 Right click on the Battlemap at the location you want to investigate.
Note that the location is expressed in terms of three values - X = horizontal distance in metres from the top left, Y
= vertical distance and Z = height or altitude. The Foot % and Mot % indicated the speed modifiers applied to foot
and motorised units traversing the location. Direct hit effect refers to the percentage modifier applied to any fire
from direct fire weapons such as rifles and anti-tank guns. Area hit effects are those applied to bombardment and
air strikes.
Slope indicates how

steep the ground is.
The steeper the slope
the slower units can
move through the
location. Further,
motorised units can
only traverse ground
with more than a
30 degree slope if a
road is present. Units
firing uphill do so at
a disadvantage, while
those firing downhill
get an advantage.
37
GAME MANUAL
Assess Line Of Sight (LOS)
Direct LOS Tool
There are two LOS tools – direct and area. To determine whether one location can be seen from another using the
direct LOS tool:
 Click on the LOS button from the Tools dialog, or
 Press the L key
 Click on the desired start location
 Drag the LOS Cursor to the desired end location.
The line of sight will be drawn between your starting point and the LOS Cursor as you drag it around. It will
disappear once you release the mouse button. You can then draw another line of sight from a different location by
repeating the procedure. You can continue to drag the cursor and the LOS line will be updated to each new end
location. The start location can be any location on the map –you don’t have to have a friendly unit present.
38
When you’re finished:
 Click the Cancel button or press the Esc key to revert to the mouse pointer.
The lighter the blue colour, the better the visibility from the starting point to that point on the line. A solid dark blue
colour in the line indicates dead ground or blocked vision. The red line and white shading illustrates the contour
height profile or cross section of the line. See Night, Weather and Visibility.
Area LOS Tool
To show what locations are visible from a selected location:
 Select the LOS Area button from the Tools Dialog or press the K key
 Select the desired location.
Again, the lighter the colour the better the visibility. Locations with no shading within the tool range limit are not
visible at all. In the above example the start location (indicated by green dot) is on the reverse slope of the hill to its
south east. Hen ce it cannot seee past the ridge of the hill to the low ground on the other side. There is dead ground
to the north west where the river cuts through the valley floor. But the srising slope on the norther side is visible up
to the edge of the village at the top of the hill.
Note that with most covered terrain (woods, urban) you can generally see into the outer edge but not through it.
Note also that on this map dark contour shading indicated low ground and lighter shading indicated high ground.
This may be reversed on other maps. Use the terrain popup to check the altitude indicated by the “Z” value.
39
GAME MANUAL
Check the Weather
The current weather is displayed at the top

right of the Controls dialog. To see additional
information:
 Hold the mouse pointer over the weather

display
After a short delay a Tooltip appears. The visibility

range shown is the theoretical maximum visibility
in Clear terrain given the current time of day and
weather – this distance will be reduced significantly
in practice by map terrain, obstacles, and unit
posture. For instance, an infantry unit deployed in
woods may only be visible if the observer is within
several hundred metres. Extreme temperatures
will reduce your troops ability to recover fatigue, expecially if they are not in urban terrain.
Identify Impassable Terrain
Not all areas on the map can be travelled by your units. Motorised units, in particular, are restricted in the areas
they can reach – see Mixed-Mode Movement. As in real life, there is often no sure way to know whether your
units will be able to cross a particular obstacle other than trying it out; but there are some rules of thumb that can
help:
 Areas marked as Impassable will be off-limits to all units

 Major Rivers, Seas and Lakes will block the movement of all units
 Minor Rivers and Marshes will block the movement of motorised units
 Slopes over 30º will block the movement of motorised units, unless there is a road present
 Slopes over 60º will block the movement of all units, unless there is a road present
To identify those areas of the map that are passable to motorised units:
 Select the Motorise Movement Overlay from the Overlays buitton on the toolbar.
Note the dark blue shading indicates best movement, light blue is good, light green is OK and dark green is proor.
Unshaded areas are impassable. In this example the impassable areas are woods or rivers, except where there is a
road crossing.
Note also that the overlays only work while the game is paused.
40
To identify those areas of the map that are passable to foot units:
 Select the Foot Movement Overlay from the Overlays button on the toolbar.
To check for certain whether a particular unit or force can reach a point on the map:
 Issue an order (see Issue Orders) to your unit(s); if the force cannot reach that point, the order location will
snap to the nearest reachable point and you will receive a warning beep.
 Use one of the path tools – see Determine Best Path
41
GAME MANUAL
Determine Best Path
To determine the best path to use from point A to point B:
 Select the desired path tool from the Tools Dialog ( the top row marked “Mot” for motorised or the middle
row marked “Non” for non-motorised or foot ). Choose Q for quickest, S for shortest or C for covered ( ie
will use woods, orchards and urban terrain ).
 Click on the desired start location
 Click again on the desired destination
If a path can be drawn, then a green route will be drawn between the two locations. The red dots that appear on
the map indicate each movement grid that was checked by the pathing code. The more areas checked the longer it
takes. Sometimes there can be a noticeable pause before the route is drawn.
If a path cannot be drawn you will here a “beep” sound. indicating that the two locations are unreachable, usually
because one or both are in terrain that is not passable or because the two locations are on separate areas of the map
separated by impassable terrain such as rivers with no bridges.
42
To determine the path to use from the currently selected unit to point B:
 Select the desired unit
 Select the desired path tool from the bottom row of the Tools Dialog – the one marked “Unit”. Choose
A to avoid enemy firepower or SF for the “safest” - ie avoid enemy firepower and stick to cover where
possible.
 Click again on the desired destination
Note that where a force consists of both motorised and foot units, the force will use a motorised route but move at
foot speed. Therefore if you want such a force to defend in or move through a woods or Minor River it is best to
detach your motorised elements before issuing a defend order to the main force.
“Duration” provides an estimate of the time it will take for the selected type of unit to complete the path that is
drawn, assuming no threats are encountered!
43
GAME MANUAL
Use the Toolbar

The Toolbar is located at the bottom of the screen. It has a series of buttons that allow you to show, hide and filter
information on unit icons and the Battlemap in general. It also has buttons to open and hide the various dialogs and
buttons to acces the Game Menu, Surrender and Minimise functions.
Unit Info Filter
At the top right of each unit icon is the Unit Info Box. This can display a range of information depending on which
filter is selected. Each filter uses one of the Function keys as a shortcut. Some share the same F Key, such that
hitting the key multiple times cycles through the filters assigned to that F Key.
F1. Task
F2. Rout Status
F3. Strength
F4. Combat Power
F5. Deployment, Facing ( Unit Deployment )
F6. Morale, Cohesion, Fatigue ( Unit Effectiveness )
F7. Ammo, Arty Ammo, Basic Supply, Fuel, Supply Line ( Unit Supply )
To change the filter:
 Click on the Unit Info Filter button until the desired filter is selected or
 Hit the corresponding F Key
44
Unit Filter
The Unit Filter button allows you to filter the display of unit icons by their type or status. Like the Unit Info Filter,
each has a corresponding keyboard shortcut – roughly corresponding to the “number keys” – and some share the
same key.
1. All units
2. HQ units
3. Line units
4. Support Units, Bases
5. Armour units
6. Mech Inf units
7. Soft units
8. Gun units, Guns that can bombard
9. Engineer units
0. Bridge units
-. Units with no orders
= Units with orders
\. Recent log entries
 Click on the Unit Filter button until the desired filter is selected or
 Hit the corresponding Key
Intel Filter
Use the Intel filter to filter the enemy intel reports ( enemy unit icons ) based on the age of the report – ie None,
Current ( last 5 minutes ), Recent ( last hour ) or All.
 Click on the Intel Filter button until the desired filter is selected or
45
GAME MANUAL
 Hit the I key until the desired filter is selected
Message Filter
Use the Battlemap Message Filters to filter those messages displayed on the Battlemap and the Message Log
Filters to filter those messages displayed on the Message Log dialog by their priority – ie None, Routine ( all ),
Urgent ( Urgent + Flash ), Flash ( only Flash ).
 Click on the Message Filter button in the Toolbar until the desired filter is selected
In the examples below, the green Routine messages are displayed in the on-map messages but filtered out from the
Message Log dialog.
Note that the onMap messages are not displayed if the Message Log dialog is open.
46
47
GAME MANUAL
Command and Supply Lines
Command Lines indicate the relationship between the selected unit and its superior and subordinate units.
Depending on the current OB Display Force Structure, these will be drawn to either the Organic, Player, or
Formation units. To display Command Lines:
 Click on the Cmd/Sup Lines button on the Toolbar till it shows Cmd
 Select one unit
Command lines are only displayed for a single selected unit. They will not be displayed when more than one unit
is selected.
48
Supply lines indicate the last determined status of the supply line between the selected unit back up to its supply
source ( Base or Supply Entry Point ) and, in the case of Bases, down to it’s drawing units.
 Click on the Cmd/Sup Lines button on the Display Toolbar till it shows Sup
 Select a unit
Note that in this example we have selected the Rgt Base. It’s supply source is the Div Base. Similar to Command
Lines, supply lines are only displayed for a single selected unit. They will not be displayed when more than one
unit is selected.
Also note that the status is not necessarily current. It is based on the time the supply line was last determined for the
units. This may be several hours old and the situation may now be different – eg. it may show as open but now it is
obvious they are cut off. ( The reason why current data is not displayed here, is that the processor load to determine
the different supply routes would slow the game down inordinately. )
49
GAME MANUAL
Range Rings
Range rings are displayed to indicate various ranges of your units pertinent to gameplay. The two direct firepower
types – anti-personnel (APer) (green rings), anti-armour (AArm) (red rings) each show 3 different color shades
corresponding to 3 different ranges; maximum (light), effective (darker), and ambush (darkest). Effective range
is the range at which 33% of the maxFP can be achieved. Ambush range is the range at which 67% of the maxFP
can be achieved.
For indirect fire bombardment (Bombard) there is both a min (black ring) and a max (blue ring) range ring. The
min ring delineates the area the unit cannot bombard into.
To display these:
 Click on the Range Ring button on the Toolbar till the desired setting is shown
 Select one or more units
50
Miscellaneous Buttons
There are five smaller buttons that show/hide the 1km Map Grid ( dark lines every 10km ); friendly unit icons,
eliminated unit icons ( crosses colour coded to match the respective command colours ), objective icons ( these
are your orders and correspond to the items in the Obj dialog ) and unit task icons ( these are the actual tasks your
units perform ).
To show or hide these:
 Select the associated button on the Display Toolbar or
 Press the G key to toggle display of the 1 km grid
 Press the U key to toggle display of units and eliminated units
 Press the J key to toggle display of objectives
51
GAME MANUAL
Menu
To gain access to the Game Menu:
 Click on the Menu button in the Display Toolbar
To go back to the game – ie do nothing:
 Click on the Return to Game button
To go to the Options Screen:
 Click on the Options button
To go to the Startup Screen:
 Click on the Leave Game button
To load a previously saved game:
 Click on the Load Game button
This will open the Load Game dialog – for details see Load a Single-Player Game.
To save the current game:
 Click on the Save Game button
This will open the Save Game As dialog – for details see Save a Game.
To exit the game application and go back to the Windows desktop:
 Click on the Quit Command Ops button
Surrender/AAR
The text on the Surrender button normally displays the word “Surrender”, which means offer your surrender to
your opponent. If your opponent offers to surrender to you the text will change to “Accept Surrender”. For details
see Offer or Accept Surrender.
The text also changes at the end of the game to “AAR”. When the scenario ends the After Action Report ( AAR )
screen is displayed. You have the option to close this and review the Battlemap. To then gain access to the AAR
screen:
 Click on the AAR button

Minimise
The Minimise button is used to minimise the application. For details see Minimise.
52
Work Out What You Have to Do to Win
Review Your Briefings
To review the briefing(s) for your

scenario:
 Select the Brf button on the

toolbar.
This will open the Scenario Briefing

dialog. The briefing will always
show the initial orders delay setting
(see Orders Delay) for your side
in the current scenario at the top of
the scrolling test box. If the scenario
designer has included a separate side
briefing, this will be displayed below
the initial orders delay and the main
scenario briefing will be shown at
the bottom.
Display the Objective List
Your current objectives are displayed on the map using a square task icon, coloured
blue on white. Inactive objectives (those finished or yet to start) are not shown on the map.
To see a list of your objectives:
 Select the Obj button from the Toolbar
This opens the Objectives dialog. All your objectives are listed. The ones you already control are highlighted bright
green. Inactive objectives (those that have finished or have yet to start) are dimmed out.
To see the details of a specific objective:
 Select the objective from the objective list, or
 Select the objective icon in the Battlemap
The objective icon on the map will be selected and coloured blue on yellow, and a yellow task perimeter ring
indicates the area to be secured (see Objectives).
Note that the numbers to the right of each objective in the list are the Victory Points ( VPs ) awarded if you
achieve the objective. Depending on the type of objective, these can be for occupying the objective through the
53
GAME MANUAL
time indicated, securing it at the specified completion time, exiting units whose anti-personnel, anti-armour and
bombardment firepower amounts to the values specified or destroying the specified percentage of the enemy’s
forces. The small bar icon to the right of the values fills up as you achieve VPs for the objective. In some cases
objectives are linked, meaning that you only need achieve one of these to gain the VPs. An “AE” next to an
objective description indicates that the game will end once this objective is completed.
Find Objectives on the Map
To locate an objective on the map:
 Open the Objectives dialog
 Double-click on the name of the objective you want to locate.
The objective will be selected and if not already in view then the Battlemap will be centred on that objective.
54
Work with Units
Most of your activities in CO2 will involve working with your units.
Select Units
When you select a unit, the unit icon will be highlighted and a white perimeter box will display the ‘footprint’ or
approximate area occupied by that unit on the map ( see Footprint and Facing ). If the unit has any orders or tasks
( see Command Your Units ), these will also be drawn on the map.
 Drawing lots of orders and perimeter boxes can slow the game down, so try to avoid running it for long
periods with many units selected
Select Units with the Mouse
The main way to select units is by using the

mouse. To select a single unit:
 Click on the unit icon on the Battlemap or
 Select the unit from the Order of Battle

dialog ( OB ) – this will also select the unit
on the Battlemap
Note that selecting a unit automatically highlights

its subordinates.
To select a group of units:
 left-click and drag on the Battlemap – all units inside

the marquee will be selected
55
GAME MANUAL
To add or subtract a unit from

the current selection:
 hold the Ctrl key

and click on the unit
icon on the Battlemap
to select or deselect it
When several units overlap,

units being drawn in front will
obscure units being drawn
behind. To select an obscured
unit:
 Click repeatedly
anywhere within the
area occupied by the
icon of the unit you
want to select
As you click, you will

progressively select each unit
under the cursor – eventually you’ll end up with the unit you want!
 Headquarters units are generally displayed on top of other units where there is an overlap
Navigate Using the Chain of Command
Military units are organised into structures where you have superiors and subordinates. These are linked by what
is known as the Chain of Command. A single unit, such as a battalion headquarters ( HQ ) will have several
subordinate companies. It in turn will be subordinated to a brigade or regiment HQ, which in turn will belong to
a division HQ.
Use the Arrow cursor keys to move from one unit to another through the command structure. The command
structure used is the one you, the player, have set up. By default this will be the organic structure, modified by
any attachments or detachments caused by orders you have given ( see Group and Ungroup Units and Military
Structure for details on attaching and detaching ).
Please note that this may differ from the actual structure being used by the units because of two reasons - orders
delay and force allocation. Firstly, when playing with orders delay it will take some time before units receive your
new orders. During that time they will continue to use their existing structure and this may be at variance with
what your orders say.
Secondly, once your units receive their orders they will develop their own plan to implement them. This will
involve allocating forces to the various tasks that make up their plan. This may involve attaching units such that
56
the structure being used varies from that you ordered.
Eg. You order the 7th Armored CCB HQ to Move. The Force Group used for your order is the organic structure
which includes one AT Bty directly subordinated to the 7th Armored CCA HQ. However, in developing the plan
the HQ assigns the AT Bty to the Advance Guard where it is subordinated to the 31st Tank Battalion (31TB). Now
when you navigate down through the CCB’s structure you will still see the AT Bty directly subordinate to the CCB
HQ ( because it is using the Order structure not the Plan structure ). Similarly if you select 31TB and navigate
down you will not see the AT Bty.
The arrow cursor keys will only navigate you through units currently displayed on the map – so if you have a filter
active ( see Unit Filter ), the cursor keys will only move between those units displayed.
To select the most senior unit currently on the map ( on-map boss ):
 Click on an empty area of the map to deselect all units, then press the up arrow key
With a single unit selected, you can navigate around the chain of command using the cursor keys:
 Select the up arrow key to select the unit’s superior, or
 Select the down arrow key to select the unit’s first subordinate, or
 Select the right arrow key to select the next subordinate, or
 Select the left arrow key to select the previous subordinate
When navigating around the chain of command, you can hold down the Shift key while using
the cursor keys to add units to the selection. For example, to select every unit in a battalion:
 Select the Battalion HQ unit
 Press Shift + down arrow keys + to add all immediate subordinates to the selection
To do the same thing for a higher-level force (like a Brigade or Division), you may need to press Shift + down
arrow keys + several times to select all subordinates. See Tutorial I for a practical example
of this process.
57
GAME MANUAL
Select Units With or Without Orders
To navigate through units under your direct command who have current orders:
 Press the Tab key , or
 Press the left arrow key or the right arrow key
To add units under your command who have current orders to the selection:
 Hold down the Shift key while pressing the left arrow or right arrow cursor
key – you will end up selecting every unit to whom you have given a direct order
To navigate through units under your direct command who have no orders:
 Press the Shift + Tab keys + .
You will cycle through your waiting subordinates in descending order of unit size and commander seniority.
Identify Your Reinforcements

During some scenarios, additional units may arrive
to supplement your force. You can see details of
these in the Reinforcement dialog:
 Open the Rienforcement (Rnf) dialog
Reinforcements arrive as groups of different

numbers of units. The most senior unit in each
group is displayed in the Reinforcement List,
along with the earliest and latest possible arrival
times of the group, the number of units in the
group, and their method of arrival.
To get more information about a group:
 Click on the group in the Reinforcement

List
Summary data for that group will be displayed

to the right of the Reinforcement List, including
the total number of Personnel, AFVs (armoured
fighting vehicles such as tanks and armoured cars),
58
Non-AFVs (ie trucks and cars), Guns, Bridges, total Anti-Personnel, Anti-Armour and Bombardment Firepower
values (APerFP, AArmFP and BombFP respectively), and the total Armour value. See Combat Effectiveness for
more information about these values.
You can also use the Reinforcement List to locate the arrival point of your reinforcement groups. To do so:
 Double-click on the group in the Reinforcement List
The senior unit in the group will be drawn and highlighted on the Battlemap and if it’s not currently in view, then
the Battlemap will scroll to centre on the unit. To remove the unit icon:
 Click on an empty area of the map or select another unit
Use the Order of Battle (OB) Display
To view the OB Display:
 Open the OB
dialog
The OB Display will be

shown. The text colour
indicates the status of
the units on the Display;
on-map units are white,
reinforcements are grey
and dead units are red. Note
also the highlight colour of
static units ( orange ) and
those you have given a
direct order to ( magenta ).
Your units will be shown

in a tree list rather like the
one in Windows Explorer®,
and you can collapse and
expand branches to display
units at different levels.
Branches are indicated by
a or symbol next to
the unit commanding that
branch.
You can select units from the OB Display:
 Click anywhere on the line for that unit
59
GAME MANUAL
When you select a unit, its line will be highlighted black. The unit will
also be selected on the Battlemap and any current subordinates will
be highlighted. You can issue orders to a unit when it is selected – see
Command Your Units.
To show the Force Data Display for the selected unit:
 Double-click the unit’s line on the OB Display.
 Units are always shown using military symbols on the

OB Display, even if they use picture symbols on the
Battlemap
Force Structures
There are 3 types of Force Structures that can be displayed while playing the game. The current Force Structure
type will effect the OB Display and the way Command Lines are drawn to/from subordinates ( see Command and
Supply Lines. ) Use the Force Structure Type button on the Diusplay Toolbar to set the type to either Organic,
Player or Current. Click the botton to toggle it though the three types.
The Organic Structure represents your OB structure at the start of the scenario and never changes due to detaching
or attaching subordinates. Note that when you select Organic Structure, 3 additional buttons appear to the right
of the OB display. These buttons allow you to toggle on (down) or off (up) the display of on-map units, scheduled
reinforcements, and/or dead units within the Organic Structure.
The Player Structure is the default display and represents your current on-board force structure including any
cross-attachments or detachments made during the course of issuing orders. It may be best to leave the Player
Stucture set as current so that Command Lines will represent your Force Group’s attached subordinates
correctly.
The Op Plan Structure represents the structure of the selected unit within it’s Force Group’s formation. A
Force Group can be a single unit without orders or a Division attacking with several attached Regiments. As
the battlefield envioronment changes, the Op Plan Structure will likely change without any input from the
player, depending on the order and the formation type selected for the force.
60
Change Unit Symbols
CO2 can display unit types using either
picture symbols or military (NATO)
symbols. To switch between them:
 Open the Options window from

the Game menu (Menu button on
toolbar).
 Check or uncheck the Use Military

Symbols checkbox
See Annex C – Understanding Military

Symbols for a guide on reading and
remembering the military symbols. Every
unit type symbol in the game is listed in
Annex D – Unit Types and Symbols.
Auto-scale Force icons

By default all unit icons
are displayed at the same
normal size. If you prefer
to have the smaller icons
for your companies and
platoons then:
 Open the Options

window from the
Game menu (Menu
button on toolbar).
 Check the Auto-

scale Force Icons
Note that the scaling is

affected by the current zoom
level. At the most zoomed
in level all units icons will
be normal. At the second
most zoomed in level, only
platoon sized units will be scaled. But the time you are zoomed right out only senior HQ are shown on the map and
these at a reduced size. The intent is to reduce clutter and allow you to focus on the icons that matter.
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GAME MANUAL
Extended Force Icon Info
To display additional Unit Info Boxes for each unit:
 Open the Options window from the Game menu (Menu button on toolbar).
 Check the Extended Force Icon Info
Note this will display four additional unit info boxes corresponding to the F1-Task, F2-Route Status, F5-Deployment
and F5-Fatigue unit info options. The type of infor displayed in these additional boxes cannot be changed. The
Funtion keys and Unit Info button on the toolbar only change the main Unit Info box on the unit icon itself.
62
Offset Unit Icons
To offset the display of unit icons by a small amount down and to the right:
 Press the ~ key
Note this works as a toggle. Hit the button again to offset back up and to the left.
Change Force Footprinty Style
To change the style of the force footprint:
 Open the Options window from

the Game menu (Menu button on
toolbar).
 Click on the Force Footprint Style

button
63
GAME MANUAL
Note there are four styles - box, filled box, rounded, filled rounded. Also note that these are representative and not
to be taken literally in terms of where the individual units and vehicles are positioned.
64
Command Your Units
You direct the actions of your units by issuing Orders. When issued an order your units will develop a plan and
issue it to their subordinates in the form of Tasks. When issuing an order, you will specify the location at which
you want the unit to carry out the order – this is called an Order Location or ObjLoc. See Objectives, Orders,
and Tasks for more information.
When you issue an order to a unit, it will no longer receive tasks from its normal superior but will only respond to
further orders directly from you. See Group and Ungroup Units and Units Under Your Direct Command for
more information.
Issue Orders
To issue an order to one or more of your units:
 Select the unit(s)
 Select the type of order by clicking the

appropriate order button on the Orders
dialog or by pressing the appropriate
keyboard shortcut.
To find the keyboard shortcut for each type of order, see Annex A – Keyboard Shortcuts. You can also display a
Tooltip in the game that shows the keyboard shortcut for a particular order:
 Briefly hover the mouse over the order button
The mouse pointer changes to the Order

Cursor once you move the mouse pointer over
the Battlemap.
 Click on the Battlemap at the desired

Order Location/ObjLoc.
A new Order Icon is placed on the map at the

order location and a line is drawn linking the
unit and the order. A yellow perimeter box is
drawn around the order icon that indicates the
approximate area to be occupied by the force
when it deploys at the order location.
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GAME MANUAL
If you attempt to place an order in a location that is impassable to the unit you are ordering, the order icon will
snap to the nearest reachable location. A message will appear at the top of the Battlemap to let you know what has
happened.
Issue Orders with Multiple Waypoints
You can tell your units to pass through a series of points on their way to their order location. These points and the
order location are called Waypoints. The last waypoint is always the Order Location or ObjLoc. To issue an order
using intermediate waypoints:
 Select the desired unit(s)
 Select the order type using the order

button or keyboard shortcut
 Hold the Shift key down

and click on the map at the desired
location of your first waypoint
 Continue to hold down the Shift key

and click on the map to
place additional waypoints
 Release the Shift key prior to placing the order location.
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As you place the waypoints, you will see Waypoint Icons appear on the map at each intermediate waypoint
location. For the Attack, Probe, and Delay orders, waypoints have a special meaning; see Seize an Objective and
Delay the Enemy Advance for details.
If you forget to release the Shift key before placing the order location, just:
 Press the Esc key
This will revert the mouse pointer to the arrow and confirm the last waypoint as the order location.
Decide Not to Issue an Order ( revert to the Arrow Pointer )
If you change your mind after selecting one of the order buttons or pressing the keyboard shortcut for an order, you
can cancel the order cursor and go back to the normal mouse pointer:
 Press the Esc key
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GAME MANUAL
Specify Order Settings
Once you have issued an order you can change a variety of settings to modify the behaviour of the unit(s) carrying
out the order. Note if you switch the order type while placing waypoints, you get the default parameters for the
original order type. All waypoints in a chain must be of the same order type and they all share the same settings.
 Select the desired waypoint
 Open the Task Edit Dialog
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Change Formation Type
 Select the desired Formation button
For an explanation of the effects of different formation types see Formations and Annex B – Formation Effects.
It is worth mentioning something about one particular formation type – In-Situ. Units with this formation will
halt, keeping the location and facing they had when they received the order. In effect, setting the In-Situ formation
type will tell your units to stay put. In some cases, such as a Move order, this may mean they will not move to the
ObjLoc!
 If you set a Formation Type of In-Situ for any order, your units will halt in place and will not move unless
the enemy forces them to retreat
 Units with In-Situ orders who are forced to retreat will move back until they are safe and will then halt
again – they will not attempt to regain their position or move to another location
Most of the time this is undesirable, but sometimes it can be quite useful when setting up a defensive position
where you do not want your units attempting to retake lost ground.
Change Movement Speed
 Select the desired Speed button
The default is Normal. Select Fastest if you need to take the objective as soon as possible. Forced marching will
fatigue your troops very quickly, especially at night and especially for foot units.
Change Route Type
 Select the desired Route button
For an explanation of the effects of different route types see Routes.
Change Aggression Level
 Select the desired Aggro button
The higher the Aggro Level the more likely the force will engage against enemy units it encounters. The lower
the aggro the more likely the force will bypass enemy opposition or run away. Setting the Aggro to Max for an
Attack or Probe will maximise the allocation of units to the assault and minimise that to the reserve – see Specify
the Settings for an Attack.
Change Rate of Fire
 Select the desired ROF button
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GAME MANUAL
The default is Normal. Give a Slow ROF to conserve ammunition and Rapid to really let ’em have it. Rapid
firing really eats up the ammo and running out of ammo is NOT good – see Supply. Note that the ROF for on-call
support fire ( controlled by the AI ) will vary automatically depending on the target range and status - slow if range
> 3000m, normal if < 3000m and rapid if < 3000m and the target is assaulting or reorging.
Change Acceptable Losses Level
 Select the Losses button for an acceptable level of casualties
The Acceptable Losses level determines how many casualties your force will take before it warns you. Your units
will continue to attempt to carry out their orders even after reaching this threshold, so in effect it is a reminder to
you to consider changing your plan and issuing new (less costly) orders. One exception to this rule is the Probe
order – units engaged in a Probe will Bunker Down ( see Launch a Probe ) if they assess the opposition is too
great and setting a low Acceptable Losses level will cause them to do this sooner.
Change Supply Allocation Priority
 Select the desired Supply Priority button
The default is Normal. You can set the priority levels of re-supply for Ammo, Basics, and/or Fuel for the duration
of the order. For example, for an attack that is expected to last over an extended period of time, set a high priority
for ammo and fuel resupply. If the Force will be defending over an extended period of time, set fuel allocations to
low priority so that the precious fuel reserves get allocated to your advancing mechanized forces.
Change Formation Frontage and Depth
 Click on the Frontage or Depth button until the desired distance appears
The default is set to Auto, which means your computer staff will determine the frontage based on the number of
troops, the formation type and the terrain. You can set the frontage and depth to 300, 600, 1000, 1500, 2000, 3000,
or even 4000 metres. Giving a small force a large frontage will spread its subordinates out perhaps to an extent
where they can no longer provide mutual support. However, this may be worthwhile if you need to screen a likely
approach.
 Click the Auto checkbox to reset frontage and depth back to Auto
Note that these settings apply only to the formation frontage and depth and not to the individual unit frontage
and depth. So if you are issuing an order to a single unit, the frontage and depth will have no effect. If you are
issuing the order to a force, then the frontage and depth of the individual units will not be affected but they will be
positioned so that the whole force covers the specified frontage and depth.
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Change Facing
Facing is the direction your units are heading or pointed. It is important to maximise firepower and minimise
vulnerability; see Footprint and Facing. To order your units to face a particular direction:
 Click and/or drag the Facing pointer to the desired angle
The default is set to Auto in which case your computer staff will determine and set the facing based on the
direction of greatest enemy threat. While set to Auto, your computer staff may reassess and change the facing
as the enemy threat changes. Specifying a particular facing can be useful when you do not want the force to
change facing just because they can no longer see the main enemy threat.
 Click the Auto checkbox to reset back to Auto
When you specify a facing for an order, the yellow perimeter box will be drawn with an open side indicating the
rear. In the example above, the frontage and depth have also been specified.
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GAME MANUAL
Change Arty Direct Support Only
You can restrict a force so that its units capable of bombarding will only fire in support of units carrying out the
same order. This is called Arty Direct Support Only. When it is turned off, your artillery, mortar and rocket units
may fire in support of any friendly unit.
 Click the Arty Direct Support Only checkbox to turn it on or off
By default this is on for Attack and Probe and off for all other orders.
Change Secure Crossing
 Click the Secure Crossing

checkbox to turn it on or off.
This option is only available for Attack

and Probe tasks. The default is off.
When set to on, any units carrying out
this order will try and un-prime the
closest crossing within 500m of the
order location/ObjLoc. See Secure,
Deny and Construct Bridges for
details.
Use this method when the enemy

occupies the crossing you wish to
secure and the crossing is primed ( indicated by a pink coloured crossing icon ). If the enemy does not occupy the
objective, use the Secure Crossing task – see Secure Crossing.
Change Retake Position
This option is only available for the defend task. The default is off. When set to on, the original
defending force will attempt to retake the position if they are forced back due to combat as long as the
casualties are not too high. Otherwise the force will defend in-situ after retreating.
 Click the Retake Position checkbox to turn it on or off
Change frequency of Rests
 Select the desired Rest frequency button
The default is Normal. Select None if you need to keep your force moving through the night with minimal rest.
Doint this you may find that your troops have exhausted themselves to the point of being unfit for action by
morning. Select Max if you want them to rest and remain idle through the night so that they continue to the ObjLoc
in the morning fully refreshed.
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Select Task Options
You can apply various options to compliment your orders. These options are available for every order except
Bombard.
 Click one of the Task option checkboxes to turn each on or off
Ambush = when checked, the force will refrain from opening fire until the enemy is very close. The default is
off.
Attacks = when checked the force may initiate attacks on it’s own initiative. Good for clearing out resistance
during an advance with limited intel, but bad if you want to make progress on a tight schedule. The default is off.
Bypass = when checked the force may reassess if it encounters enemy opposition and choose a new route to bypass
them. otherwise the force will continue to follow the original route. The default is off.
Stragglers = when checked, the force will not stop and rest with any subordinates that are too exhausted to
continue. Instead it will press on leaving the exhausted “straggler” behind. Otherwise the whole force may stop
and rest with the exhausted unit. The default is on.
Basing = when checked, any subordinate base units are free to determine their own depot locations. otherwise, the
basing code will be ignored and you will have to manually look after them. Unchecking this is useful when you
want your whole force to move or exit. The default is on.
Select an Order
You can check and adjust the order settings of a force, usually without incurring an orders delay.
 Click on the order icon or on a waypoint icon to select it
If two or more order icons overlap, click repeatedly to cycle through them to the one you want – this works the
same as selecting a unit that is drawn behind another ( see Select Units ).
When you select an order or waypoint, the selected icon will be shown in yellow and a yellow perimeter box will
be displayed indicating the approximate expected outline of the deployed unit at that location.
To see the order settings:
 Open the Edit Task dialog.

Note that the settings apply to all waypoints, except where specified otherwise in the manual.
To toggle between a selected order and its unit:
 Press Ctrl + Up Arrow keys +
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GAME MANUAL
Select a Unit Task
In response to your orders, your units will develop their own Unit Tasks. Due to orders delay it may take a while
before the unit tasks are generated by the AI. As the AI executes its plan it may destroy a unit task and create
another - eg. when it arrives at its destination it will destroy the Move task and create a Defend task.
To select a Unit Task for the selected unit:
 Click on the Unit Task icon or
 Press Ctrl + Down Arrow keys +
When you select a unit, any tasks it has will be shown using grey and black icons versions of the order and
waypoint icons. You can select unit tasks the same way you can select orders.
To view the selected unit task settings:
 Open the View Task dialog
Note you can’t edit the task settings directly.

See Objectives, Orders and Tasks for more
information.
Note in most cases, selecting a unit will display

only one unit task icon as shown below. However,
in some case more than one unit task icon is
displayed. These represent either additional
unit tasks that will be done in sequence by the
selected unit or those unit tasks being performed
by other subordinate units, not in formation with
the selected unit.
Eg. selecting a battalion HQ conducting an attack

will often display multiple unit tasks. There will
be a Move to the FUP task located at the FUP.
Under this icon there will be a Reorg task ( click
again on the Move unit task icon to select it ).
There will be an Assault task at the ObjLoc plus
the final Reorg task under it. These are all being
conducted by the main assault group and done
in sequence ( Move, Reorg, Assault, Reorg ).
In addition there may be a Defend task for the
Reserve group. They will move to the reserve
location and defend there independently of the
main assault group.
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Unlike the task settings for your orders, those of unit tasks specify the estimated timings, formation type, frontage
and depth etc that apply to the task – ie that are actually being used. Note that timings may be subsequently
adjusted - ie extended ( slipped ) or brought forward ( cribbed ) - during the attack by the AI.
To cycle through the selected unit and its Unit Tasks:
 Press Ctrl + Down Arrow keys +
Delete Orders
To delete an order:
 Select the unit whose order you want to delete
 Press the Delete key or
 Select the order location and press the Delete key repeatedly until the order location and any
waypoints have been deleted; or
 Click the Reattach button on the Orders Dialog – this deletes the order and places the unit back under
command of its Organic Superior ( see Group and Ungroup Units and Organic and Attached Units )
When you have deleted a unit’s orders, the unit will stop moving and will wait for further orders. If you have the
unit icon info box set to display Tasks ( F1 key), the info box will become blank. Any subordinates of the unit
whose orders you have deleted will keep following the tasks they have been assigned by that unit until they receive
the message that the order has been deleted. This effect will not be noticeable unless you have orders delay turned
on – see Work with Orders Delay and Orders Delay.
Modify Orders
After you have issued an order, you may decide that it needs to be
changed in some way.
Change the Order Location / ObjLoc
To change the order location of an order without changing the

order type:
 Select the order icon and drag it to the new location, or
 Select the order icon, activate the same order type as the
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GAME MANUAL
existing order using the Orders Dialog or keyboard shortcut, and click on the map to add the new order
location ( the old one becoming an intermediate waypoint ).
If you are playing with Orders Delay turned on, changing the
location of an order will cause a replan (see Orders Delay and Avoid Causing Replans ).
Move, Add, or Delete a Waypoint
You can move a waypoint if you decide you need to re-route a unit but you are still happy with the order location
and type. To do this:
 Select the waypoint you want to move and drag it to the new location
You can also delete a waypoint if you decide it is no longer needed, though it is usually better to move it to
somewhere better instead:
76
 Select the waypoint you want to delete and press the Delete key
If you need to re-route a unit but you are still happy with the order location and type, then insert additional
waypoints. To do so:
 Select an existing waypoint
 Activate the same order type as the existing order – eg if Move, hit M key
 Click on the map to add a new waypoint after the selected one.
If you want to add more than one waypoint:
 Hold down Shift as you click on the map
Change Order Settings
You can change the order settings of an existing order quite easily:
 Select the order (or one of its waypoint icons)
 Open the Edit Task dialog
 Change the order settings .
Some changes will cause your units to replan, and if you are playing with Orders Delay this will take some time.
For details, see Work with Orders Delay.
Change the Type or Location of an Order
If you want to keep your order settings and waypoints, but change the type of order:
 Select the current order location
 Activate a new type of order using the Order Dialog or a keyboard shortcut
 Click on the map to place a new order location.
The unit will now follow the original waypoints and order settings but will end up in the new order location and
will perform the new type of order. If you have specified waypoints for the current order, and you want to keep the
existing order location, you can use a similar method:
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GAME MANUAL
 Select an intermediate waypoint instead of the order location
 Activate a new type of order using the Order Dialog or a keyboard shortcut
 Click on the map to place a new intermediate waypoint.
This will place a new waypoint immediately after the one you selected. The order location and order settings will
remain the same but the unit will now move through the new waypoint as well, and will perform the new type of
order.
 If playing with Orders Delay turned on, changing the type or location of an order ( ie moving the final
waypoint ) will cause a replan (see Orders Delay and Avoid Causing Replans ).
 There is no undo for any order related activities
Issue New Orders
To cancel the current orders of a unit and issue brand new ones, including resetting the order settings to default:
 Delete the current order ( see Delete Orders ) and issue a new one, or
 Select the unit and issue a new order
Group and Ungroup Units
At the start of the game, your units will already be organised in groups, each with its own commanding unit or
Headquarters (HQ). Some groups will contain other whole groups – for example a Regiment will contain two or
more Battalions. Those Battalions in turn will contain several companies each. This starting organisation is called
the Organic Structure. The HQ of each group is called the Organic Superior of the other units in the group, and
those units are called the Organic Subordinates of the group HQ.
You can arrange your units into

different groups, called Battlegroups
(or Kampgrüppen). When you give
orders to a battlegroup, the computer
staff will determine which is the senior
unit and will make it the Battlegroup
Commander. Units in the battlegroup
that are not organic subordinates of
the battlegroup commander are said to
be Attached; if you take the organic
subordinate of a unit and attach it to
a different battlegroup, it is said to be
Detached from its organic superior. See
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Force Structures for more information.
Create a New Group of Units
To create a new group of units:
 Select the desired units using the mouse and / or keyboard
 Issue an order to the units.
When you do this, your computer

staff will identify the most senior
unit in the group and place it in
command. This commanding
unit will process your order and
issue tasks to the other units in the
group to carry it out. The units will
remain grouped until you decide
to ungroup them.
If the units you select to form

your new group have organic
subordinates, then these will be
included in the group. If the units
you select for your group are
themselves commanding attachments, these will be included in the new group but will be under direct command
of the battlegroup commander (which may not be the unit to whom they were originally attached).
 If you form a battlegroup using units that were already part of a different battlegroup, then they will no
longer be part of the first battlegroup
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GAME MANUAL
Reattach units
Once you have formed

a new battlegroup, you
may want to break it up
and return its units to
their organic superiors
(called Reattaching).
You can also use this
to place a unit to whom
you have given direct
orders back under
the command of its
organic superior. This
can be useful when
reinforcements arrive,
but beware this will force a replan for the boss.
To reattach:
 Select the unit you want to reattach and click the Reattach button ( H key ) on the Orders
dialog; or
 Select the subordinate unit and its organic superior (and any other unit you want to include) and issue a
new order
If the unit you are reattaching was commanding attached units, those units will be placed under the command of
their immediate organic superior, provided you have not given them a direct order. In such cases, the unit will be
reattached to the next organic superior up the chain of command that is not under your direct command. If none can
be found it will be attached to the on-map Boss, regardless of whether this is under your direct command or not.
Move Your Forces
To order your units to move to a particular location:
 Select the unit(s) you want to move
 Issue a Move order (see Issue Orders) on the location where you want your troops to end up.
If you want, you can specify additional waypoints through which the unit(s) must move; you can also change the
settings that govern how they behave while moving – see Specify Order Settings.
 Once the unit(s) have reached the order location they will automatically Defend there – see Defend a
Location
80
 Any settings you specify for the Move order will be applied all the way along the route – see Formations
and Routes
If the force you Move includes long-range artillery units, they may not move to the same destination as the rest of
the force; instead, they may move to a Firebase location from which they can support the rest of the force with
bombardments.
If you issue a Move order to a single artillery unit, it will move to the order location.
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GAME MANUAL
Seize an Objective
Where the enemy is defending a piece of terrain that you want to secure, the Attack is your primary means of
ejecting his units and securing the ground with your own. Alternatively, you may want to use a less aggressive
approach and order a Probe instead – the two are very similar.
Ordering a force to attack sets in train a whole series of events. A force with no subordinate HQs will conduct a
Basic Attack. If the force includes a subordinate HQ or SubHQ, with its own subordinate line units, then it will
conduct a Complex Attack ( see Launch a Complex Attack ).
To order an Attack or Probe:
 Select the unit(s) you want to attack with
 Issue an Attack or Probe order with the order location on the objective you want to seize.
Your troops will then perform the complex dance that is an attack, moving through any waypoints you have
specified and on to the objective. As a Probe is very similar to an attack, the information below applies to both
orders. For an explanation of the differences between the two, see Launch a Probe.
Understand How an Attack Works
Even a basic attack is a complicated activity! The force conducting the attack will separate into several groups
with different roles.
The Assault Group contains most of the line and line-support units; these units will close on and seize the objective.
The Reserve Group includes all short-range indirect-fire units (mostly mortars), and any line and line-support
units not required for the assault group; these units are held nearby but out of the attack. Short-range direct-fire
artillery like infantry guns will also usually get allocated to the Assault Group. The Fire Support Group includes
any long-range indirect-fire units (mostly field, medium or heavy artillery). These units are kept out of reach of the
enemy but in positions from which they can bombard in support of the assault.
The attacking force will move through a number of key locations. The Forming Up Point (FUP) is where the
Assault Group will reorganise and spread out into the assault formation. The Reserve Location – usually near the
FUP – is where the Reserve Group will stay during the attack (unless mortar units in the Reserve can’t reach the
attack objective, in which case they will move forward until they can). The Fire Support Group will set up in the
Firebase (further to the rear but within artillery range of the objective) to provide fire support during the attack.
Finally, the Attack Objective, the order location for the attack, is the ground you want your force to seize and
hold. At the end of a successful attack your assault and reserve groups will be deployed on the attack objective in
a defensive position.
82
The attack, therefore, occurs in a number of steps or phases. These phases are:
 Move to the FUP – the force will Move from its current location to the FUP, reserve location, or firebase
as appropriate
 Reorganise (Reorg) in the FUP – the assault group will Move into assault formation and will Reorg to
recover cohesion; the reserve group will Defend in its location; and the fire support group will deploy
its guns to provide On Call support
 Assault – at HHour, the assault group will Assault from the FUP straight to the objective with a maximum
of speed and aggression
 Exploit – parts of the assault group will continue to Assault past the objective to ensure there are no
enemy units nearby
 Reorg on the objective – once the assault group has reached its objective and exploited, it will Reorg
to recover cohesion and the reserve group will start to Move forward to the objective
 Secure the objective – once the assault group has finished reorging, the assault and reserve groups
will Defend on the objective and the fire support group will take up new positions from which to provide
On Call support
If the attack is not successful, your force may need to replan before trying again – see Reassessment. Your force
will reattempt the attack and will continue doing so until they either succeed or you give them new orders.
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GAME MANUAL
Set a Specific FUP
When you order an attack, without specifying any intermediate waypoints, the HQ will determine the best place
for the FUP. This means it may attack the enemy from a direction you do not want. If you want your force to attack
from a particular direction, you should specify a FUP. As far as possible, the assault group will always Assault in
a straight line from the FUP to the attack objective, only detouring around impassable terrain.
You can specify the FUP for an attack by specifying at least two points when issuing the order – the final point
indicates the attack objective and the second-last point indicates the FUP. Any other preceding waypoints will
delineate the route of the move to the FUP. To order your force to use a particular location for the FUP:
 When ordering your attack, set at least one waypoint in addition to the order location
The icon for the second last waypoint will be displayed as a Reorg order icon. Moving this point will cause your
force to replan; see Work with Orders Delay for more information.
While the assault group is moving

into assault formation and reorging
in the FUP, they are vulnerable to
enemy bombardment and attack, so
it’s a good idea to form up in a safe
location. This means out of sight of
the enemy – behind a ridge is ideal. A
good FUP is not too close to the enemy
nor too far away, otherwise your force
will lose too much cohesion and
suffer too much fatigue. In selecting
a good FUP remember that you need
to balance safety against speed. For
instance, covered terrain (woods, town
etc) provides good cover from enemy
observation and fire and is generally
preferred for non-motorised units.
However, motorised units will take
considerably longer to shake out into
assault formation.
Launch a Basic Attack
In a basic attack, there is only one HQ unit. The HQ will go into the assault group.
If you have not specified an FUP, the HQ will determine the best place to form up for its assault (FUP). It will
determine the amount of time it needs to spend reorganising at the FUP – shaking out into assault formation. If
you have not specified waypoints leading to the FUP, it will also determine the best route to advance to the FUP, if
possible avoiding enemy fire and observation. It will order the reserve to Defend nearby – close enough to provide
on call support but far enough to be out of harms way.
84
Once orders have been received, units will Move to
the reserve location, the firebase, or to the FUP. At
the reserve location, units will Defend – arty units
may provide On Call support as requested. At the
firebase, arty units will deploy ready to provide On
Call support for the attack. At the FUP, units will
Reorg to recover cohesion and will shake out into
assault formation.
At the HHour, the assault units will start to Assault

towards the attack objective – moving, firing and
calling in on-call-support as they encounter enemy
units. Armoured units will tend to stand-off and
fire at enemy targets once they are within their
effective range. Long-ranged line support units,
such as anti-aircraft and machine gun units, will
halt, Defend, and fire once they are within their
effective range and can see the objective.
 You cannot directly order an assault – Assaults occur only as part of an Attack or Probe
Similarly, if an arty, mortar, or rocket launcher unit does not have sufficient range to bombard the objective from
the reserve location it will be committed to the assault. During the assault it will stop as soon as it gets within
effective bombardment range. It will then Defend and provide On Call support.
Leading assault units will often exploit past the

assigned objective. Once the HQ has reached the
attack objective, the force will conduct a final
reorganisation, bringing forward the reserve group
and shaking out into a defensive formation on the
objective. Thereafter they will Defend.
Optional Tasks within an Attack
If time is tight, the final Reorg may not happen. If

the force starts very close to the enemy it may also
form up in its present location (In-Situ) and dispense
with the advance to the FUP. If there are no artillery
units and no other units to spare for the reserve, then
the Reserve task may also be done away with. At the
minimum, a basic attack thus consists only of a Reorg
task at the FUP, followed by an Assault task to the
objective and a Defend on the objective.
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GAME MANUAL
Employ Infantry-Armour Cooperation (Basic Attacks)
If the force includes armoured units and the assault route

is into or through covered terrain, selecting Successive
Lines will send the infantry forward to the front line and
the armour in the rear. To ensure that this occurs:
 Attach an armour unit to an infantry basic attack, or

attach an infantry unit to an armour basic attack
Infantry-armour cooperation in complex attacks is a more

complicated proposition. See Employ Infantry-Armour
Cooperation (Complex Attacks) for details. Essentially
the force will attack in line with each sub-force attacking
in either line or successive lines.
Note the centre guard exploits beyond the Regiment

objective.
86
Specify the Settings for an Attack
While the setting in the Edit Task dialog generally apply to all phases of the attack, the Assault will always move at
the Fastest rate and will always use the Shortest route from the FUP to the attack objective. Further, the Aggro and
Acceptable Losses thresholds will be increased by one level from what you set (up to Max level) – for example, if
you set these to Medium, they will automatically become High for the Assault. The advance to the FUP may also
not use the Formation Type you select; at the discretion of the HQ, it will usually be made in Road Column, Vee,
or Arrowhead formation.
Speed
If you need to put in a quick attack then:
 select Fastest move speed
This will increase fatigue, especially for foot units.
Aggro, Rate of Fire and Acceptable Losses
If you want to “max out” your attack – go in with all guns blazing and press on
regardless of casualties – then:
 set Aggro to Max
 set the Rate of Fire (ROF) to Rapid
 set Losses to Max
Warning - doing so may result in units running out of ammo and suffering heavy losses. Even with these settings,
if the enemy is too strong, your attack may falter and be forced to retreat or rout.
Route Type
If you want your force to sneak up unobserved to their FUP and to avoid enemy firepower, then:
 select Safest Route
This is usually the slowest route available.
Formation Type
If you leave the Formation type unspecified, then the force will probably advance to the FUP in road column and
then shake out into Line for the Assault. Changing formation type for the Attack only affects the Assault phase. To
specify a formation type for the assault phase:
 select a Formation Type from the Edit Task dialog
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GAME MANUAL
Frontage and Depth
Similarly, specifying a frontage will only affect the Assault phase. For instance, a battalion would normally attack
on a 600m frontage in line formation, but may need to cover an enemy-occupied objective of 1000m. If you set
the frontage to 1000m it would still advance to the FUP in road column on a 10 - 20m frontage, then deploy into
line at the FUP on a 1000m frontage. To specify a
frontage:
 left- or right-click on the Frontage button

until the desired distance appears
A left click increases the frontage one increment

and a right click decrements it. Additionally, for all
formations other than line or successive lines it is
best to keep the depth the same as the default. You
can decrease it for line, where there are only a few
units, and increase it for successive lives, especially
if there are many units.
Start, End, and Assault At times
Manually set the Start and End times to coordinate Moves and other tasks so that
they start together or end together or one starts when the other ends. To specify a
Start, End or Assault At time:
 Click on the timing buttons to adjust the time
Left click to increment and Right click to decrement. Minutes are adjusted in 5 minute increments. Holding down
the control key while clicking the minutes button adjusts in one minute increments.
For Probes and Attacks, there is a third timing control (AssaultAt) that governs when the Assault will start. If you
want to coordinate multiple attacks so that they all start assaulting at the same time, then set a common AssaultAt
time for each of these. If you want to lay on a preliminary bombardment then set it to end at the AssaultAt time or
sometime shortly thereafter so its fire lifts before your assault forces get too close.
Note you cannot adjust the Assault At time beyond the End time, nor before the Start. The AssaultAt timing control
has an Auto checkbox to its right. By default this is checked and you do not have to worry about setting the Assault
At time. If you wish to set the AssaultAt time, uncheck the Auto box. This will then display the earliest possible
AssaultAt time, which is equal to the Start. If you want to revert back to the default, just check the Auto box.
The AI will automatically slip ( ie postpone ) the Assault At time you set if it needs more time and will advise the
amount slipped in a message. However, it will not automatically crib ( ie bring forward ) the Assault At time if it
is ahead of schedule. You will have to do that manually.
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Facing
 Click on the Facing control and/or drag till

the arrow faces the desired direction
The Facing setting only applies when the force

defends the objective after the assault. During the
Assault it will always face towards the ObjLoc.
Arty Direct Support Only
Leave this checked ( the default ) to ensure that any

assigned indirect fire support units will only support
units assigned to this attack. If unchecked, they may
support other friendly units and not be available
when needed by the assault units.
Secure Crossing
If you are launching the attack to secure a crossing, check the Secure Crossing checkbox. This will cause units in
the Assault Group to try and un-prime the crossing when they get close enough.
Launch a Complex Attack
Complex attacks are those involving

subHQs. When you order a unit to attack
and it has one or more subHQs, it will
conduct a complex attack. This is similar
to the basic attack, except that the HQ
commanding the whole show (the Senior
HQ) will go into the reserve group and
the subHQs will be tasked to conduct their
own attacks. Each subHQ will also create
its own reserve group that will provide on-
call support during the attack.
If you have not specified a FUP, the force

commander is bold enough, and the force
ratio is very favourable, the subHQs’
attacks may be Uncoordinated. In this
case, the selection of FUPs, advance routes
and timings will be left to the subHQ commanders. They will each plan their own attack on the objective location
more or less independent of the others. However, they will avoid selecting the same FUPs, so they will assault
from different locations.
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GAME MANUAL
Coordinate a Complex Attack
In general, though, complex attacks will be

Coordinated. This means that a common FUP
will be selected by your staff and subHQs will
launch their assaults at the same time. The
FUPs of the subHQ attacks will be arranged so
that they either approach the objective in line,
or in successive lines (called In Echelon or
Echeloned). If the attack is in line, often one
subHQ will be tasked to exploit past the objective
location; if there are three or more subHQs in
the attack, then this will always happen. If the
attack is in echelon, the first wave will stop at the
original objective, while follow-on waves exploit
past the original objective location.
To force a complex attack to be coordinated:
 Specify a FUP for the complex attack
Specify Formations for a Complex Attack
You can specify the formation to be used

by each of the subHQ assaults by setting
a formation for the attack as a whole. See
Change Formation Type.
If you have specified a FUP, and you select

Line formation, the subHQ attacks will use
line formation and the whole attack will be
carried out in line. If you select Successive
Line formation, the subHQ attacks will be
carried out in successive line formation and
the whole attack will be echeloned. If you
specify a different formation, the subHQ
attacks will use the formation you have
specified, and the senior HQ will decide
whether the attacks themselves are launched
in line or in echelon.
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Employ Infantry-Armour Cooperation (Complex Attacks)
For complex attacks, infantry-armour cooperation will only routinely occur if the subordinate HQs each already
have a mix of infantry and armour as their organic structure ( see Organic and Attached Units ). Although
you cannot force a complex attack to employ infantry-armour cooperation, you can improve the chances of it
happening:
 Attach some armour companies to an all-

infantry complex attack, or attach some infantry
companies to an all-armour complex attack
The attachments must be made as individual companies.

For example, if you are attaching some tank companies
to an infantry regiment attack, make sure you don’t
attach the tank battalion HQ. If you do include the tank
battalion HQ, then it will command the tank companies
in the assault, so there will be no chance that the tanks
will get allocated to one of the infantry battalions. Even
when attaching individual companies, it is up to the
HQ in charge of the complex attack to decide where to
allocate them; better commanders will be more likely to
employ infantry-armour cooperation.
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GAME MANUAL
Launch a Probe
A Probe is largely the same as an Attack. However, the default thresholds for Aggro and Acceptable Losses are
set to Low instead of High, resulting in an increased probability that the force will exceed their casualty threshold
when they meet serious opposition. In which case, you will receive an “urgent” message to that effect.
Of course you can call off the attack at this stage by issuing another order. If you choose not to, though, the AI
may intervene. Unlike in an attack, where the force will repeatedly Assault until either they achieve the objective
or receive a new order, a probing force may decide to Bunker Down if things get too threatening. The force will
retreat a short distance and defend until its next reassessment. If your probe force decides to bunker down, you
will receive a message to that effect.
As a result Probes can be quite useful for creating diversions or reconnoitring in force, without causing excessive
losses – especially when launched into an unknown area.
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Hold an Objective
The first step in holding an objective is to secure it initially. Use Move, Attack, and Probe orders to push the enemy
out of the way and gain control of the objective, then deploy your units for defence. See Move Your Forces and
Seize an Objective for details of these orders.
Defend a Location
To have your troops defend a location from the enemy:
 Select the unit(s) you want to defend with
 Issue a Defend order on the location you want to

defend.
Your troops will move through any waypoints you specify to

the order location and will deploy there to repel enemy attacks.
You can specify various settings when issuing a Defend order. Your unit(s) will use the move speed and route type
you set while they move to the order location; the formation type, aggro, ROF, frontage, depth and facing will all
be used when they position themselves at their destination. The aggro setting largely determines the range at which
your troops will engage the enemy; high aggro means they will start shooting early, low aggro means they will
allow the enemy to move a lot closer before firing.
You can also specify various task options for your troops to follow while carrying out the order. For example,
toggle Ambush to cause your troops to hold their fire until the enemy is within close range. See Task Options for
more information.
You may want to also pay particular attention to formation type, frontage, and facing to ensure that your units are
deployed to meet the most likely or most dangerous enemy attack, or are positioned in the best defensive terrain.
Delay the Enemy Advance
In many scenarios, you will want to slow the advance of a stronger enemy but will not want to risk getting destroyed
in a static defensive position. You can achieve this by using Delay – your units will defend briefly on successive
Blocking Positions but will fall back under pressure. This forces the enemy to waste time attacking each blocking
position, while your smaller defending force will (hopefully) slip away unharmed before the blow falls.
 If your force does not include at least one Line unit ( infantry/armour/recon ), then the Delay order will
be disabled for it.
How the Delay works depends on the number of Line units the delaying force has. If only one line unit then the
same units must defend and pull back from each successive blocking position. If two or more line units then the
force will be divided into two blocking groups and these will leap-frog each other, such that the first will pull back
from blocking position one and head for blocking position three, while the second group defends blocking position
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GAME MANUAL
2 and later heads back to position four. This is much more effective than with
a single group, as it should give time for each group to deploy and get ready
before the enemy is upon them.
To have a force delay the enemy:
 Select your delaying force
 Click the Delay button on the Orders Dialog or press the Y key
 Click on the map where you want the delaying force to start delaying
from ( ie the first blocking location ) – waypoint 1.
 Click on the map where you want the delaying force to delay back to
( ie the final blocking location or ObjLoc ) – waypoint 2.
The force will divide into its groups ( if more than one line unit ). The first
group will move to blocking position 1 at the first waypoint. The second
group will move to blocking position 2 at a location to be determined by the
AI between the first and second ( final ) waypoint.
The AI will determine how many intermediate blocking positions there should be and where they will be placed.
Each blocking group will move to its designated blocking position and defend there. It will periodically assess its
situation and if the enemy threat to the blocking position is deemed too great or the enemy is threatening the delay
route back to the ObjLoc then it will abandon the blocking position and head back to its next designated blocking
position. In the case where there is only one blocking group, this will be the very next blocking position. In the
case were there are two blocking groups it will be the
one after the next.
94
You can, however, override the AI selection
of intermediate blocking positions. To
specify where the intermediate blocking
positions should be:
 After waypoint 1, click on the map

and place successive waypoints
at the desired locations, ending
with the final blocking position or
ObjLoc
Note that there must be at least three

waypoints to override the AI.
If you want your blocking force to offer

stiff resistance then:
 Increase the Losses setting and/or
 Increase the Aggro setting
However, this may not be such a good idea

as they may end up trapped rather than
withdrawing to fight another day.
An Alternative to Delay Orders
As an alternative to giving a Delay order

you could manage things more directly. To
do so:
 Order your blocking force to Defend at the initial blocking position
 Determine for yourself when the blocking position becomes untenable and order your blocking force to
Withdraw to another good blocking position.
If you are playing with Orders Delays turned on, this method has the disadvantage that both the HQ commanding
the delay force and its subordinates will incur a delay with each order you give. If you use the Delay order, the HQ
commanding the delay force will only incur orders delay when you issue the order; after that, only the subordinate
units will incur a delay each time the HQ orders them to fall back. See Orders Delay for more information.
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GAME MANUAL
Withdraw to Safety
In some circumstances, discretion is the better part of valour. When your purpose is better served by running away
to fight another day,
 Order your force to Withdraw to the desired destination ( ObjLoc )
 You can specify the withdrawal route using waypoints
A force ordered to withdraw will

divide its force into two groups
(provided there is at least two line
units), a Rearguard group and a
Main Body. The Rearguard group
will conduct a delay from the
force subject’s current location
to the ObjLoc. The Main Body
will perform a Move task to the
ObjLoc, using an avoidance route
and with its Aggro level set to
Min – it will try to keep going,
regardless of what it encounters.
Any intermediate waypoints set will apply to the Main Body’s withdrawal route. Intermediate blocking positions
for the Rearguard will be determined by the AI.
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Engage the Enemy
It is possible to attack the enemy without assaulting him. Your units provide two ways of doing this: with direct
fire, using the Fire order, and with indirect fire, using the Bombard order. You can also attack the enemy with
Airstrikes that may be available from time to time in some scenarios.
When using these orders, you must bear in mind that they all target the location and not the specific enemy unit; if
the enemy moves away, you must manually retarget the Fire and Bombard orders. You cannot retarget an airstrike
once it has been ordered. One of the benefits of leaving artillery under AI control is that the AI will automatically
adjust the bombard location.
Fire at the Enemy

To have a unit remain in its present location and fire at the
ObjLoc for 10 minutes.
 Order your force to Fire ( F key ) at the

desired location ( ObjLoc )
To extend the duration:
 Click on the minute / hour / day Duration buttons
To decrease the duration:
 Right-click on the minute / hour / day Duration

buttons
The minute button adjusts in 5 minute increments. You

cannot extend the duration beyond the time remaining in
the scenario, nor can you decrease it to less than 1 minute.
The duration displayed will decrease as time ticks by.
If no enemy units are visible, it will “area fire” into the location anyway. Any enemy units actually there but not
visible to you will be affected, although the effectiveness of the fire will be reduced. Apart from causing personnel
casualties and destroying weapons and vehicles, fire also suppresses enemy units, reducing the effectiveness of
their return fire. It also lowers their morale and makes them tired.
To increase the Rate of Fire and hopefully the amount of damage inflicted:
 Select the Rapid rate of fire (ROF) button from the Edit Task dialog.
If you need to conserve ammo, then:
 Select the Slow rate of fire (ROF) button from the Edit Task dialog.
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GAME MANUAL
When you select the Fire order, range rings appear around the selected unit. The green ring represents anti-personnel
firepower (APerFP) maximum range while the red ring represents anti-armour firepower (AArmFP) maximum
range. You can display range rings permanently for all selected units ( regardless of whether you are ordering them
to Fire ) by clicking the Range Rings button on the Display Toolbar. See RangeRings.
Some things to keep in mind when using Fire orders:
 A unit will only Fire on a location that it can see; use the LOS button on the Orders Dialog to check that
the unit has a clear view of the target area
 A unit will only fire those weapons that can reach the target location; if the target area is right on the
edge of a weapon’s range, only those weapons on the near edge of the unit will be able to fire
 When the unit finishes firing, it will Defend in its position and wait for further orders
Because Fire is so sensitive to the range to target and LOS, it is only useful in some circumstances. At night or in
close country it is not terribly useful; often it is more productive to issue a Defend order with a high Aggro setting
and let your units engage the enemy on their own initiative.
Bombard the Enemy
Bombard is very similar to Fire; the section above on adjusting duration and rates of fire applies to Bombard as
well. Only units with a Bombard capability can Bombard. These are usually your mortar, rocket and artillery units.
Note that Infantry Gun units cannot Bombard – they are direct fire weapons.
 Order your force to Bombard ( B key ) at the desired location ( ObjLoc )
When you select the

Bombard order, your
unit(s) will show a blue
maximum range ring
and a black minimum
range ring. An arty unit
cannot bombard within
its minimum range. Note
in the above example that
Mortar units have a very
small minimum bombard
range. Artillery units
generally have larger
minimum ranges.
 You may need to zoom out to see the max range ring for the larger calibre guns.
98
Bombardment is automatically area fire. In most
cases it will be indirect, in that the firer does not need
to be able to see the target. However, if no friendly
unit can see the target location, the effectiveness will
be reduced.
There are some circumstances in which your unit

may not bombard:
 If the bombard target is too close to

friendly units and the ‘avoid freindlies’
checkbox is checked, the unit will not
fire (this includes if friendly units move
too close during the bombardment)
You will see a warning message to that effect in the

Edit Task dialog.
If this happens try moving the ObjLoc further
away. Sometimes this will mean that only part of
the bombardment zone will overlap the intended
target, but sometimes it’s better to get something
than nothing at all. Otherwise uncheck the ‘avoid
freindlies’ checkbox and bombard indescriminantly.
 If the bombarding unit is Undeployed or Taking Cover, it will not be able to fire until it is at least
Deployed ( see Deployment )
On completion of a Bombard task your artillery unit will revert to an In-Situ Defend task (i.e. defend where it is).
As an alternative to giving bombard orders, units with a bombard capability that are Defending automatically
provide On Call support – see Provide On Call Support.
Bombardments can be very effective at suppressing enemy units and breaking up enemy attacks.
When you order a force to attack, the HQ will often order its artillery units to defend somewhere to the rear of the
FUP. When the assault goes in and the assaulting units encounter the enemy, they can automatically call for the arty
units to bombard the enemy. See Seize an Objective for more information.
The other thing to keep in mind is that artillery units run out of ammo pretty quickly. The average unit would have
enough ammo to fire for 45 minutes at normal rate of fire per day – that’s only 4.5 normal length bombardments.
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GAME MANUAL
Provide On Call Support
Normally, when an artillery unit is deployed and has a Defend task, other friendly forces can request a bombardment
from that unit. These bombardments are called On Call Support. To have an artillery unit provide On Call
support:
 Order a bombard-capable unit to Defend or Move
The unit will Move to the order location and deploy.

Thereafter it will be available to respond to requests
from other friendly units to provide fire support against
enemy threats. Subject to ammunition constraints and the
priority of the enemy threat, the arty unit will bombard
the enemy threat for approximately 5 minutes. It will
then revert to defending until the next request comes in.
If you select a defending arty unit, you will see a line

drawn from its present location to the target location of
its last On Call support mission (if any).
The rate of fire ( ROF ) used for On Call bombardments

varies. If the target is more than 3000m away from the sighter, then ROF will be slow. If the range is under 1000m
and the enemy target is assaulting or reorging then it will be rapid. Otherwise it will be normal.
 If you want to control the Rate of Fire, then issue a Bombard order yourself
After an artillery unit finishes a Bombard order, it will normally adopt a Defend task and will be available for On
Call support.
If you do not want an artillery unit to provide On Call support ( ie save ammo ):
 Give them a Rest order, or
 Delete their current order, or
 Check Rest After Bombard in the Options

dialog and then issue a new Bombard or a
new Defend in-situ order – ( at the end of the
Bombard order the unit will Rest )
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Manage Fire Support
One of the most common tasks you will want to do is to quickly provide fire support against an enemy threat. You
can locate your artillery units on the map, select them, and then order them to Bombard. However, trying to find
them, especially when the map is zoomed right in, can take time. To shortcut this process:
 Open the FireSpt Dialog
This shows a list of all directly subordinated arty units – i.e. those units that can bombard that you have given a
direct order to. From here you can quickly review the status of your arty units using the function keys ( for example
F7 key , used to show arty ammo level ). Selecting a unit in the list displays details on its ammo, range,
number of guns and bombard firepower value. To order a unit to Bombard using the FireSpt Tab:
 Select the unit from the list in the FireSpt dialog
 Select the Bombard tool from the Orders dialog or Press the B key
 Click on the map location you want to bombard.
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GAME MANUAL
Target an Airstrike
You can only launch an airstrike when there are strike aircraft overhead. A message will appear at the top of the
Battlemap advising you that you have an airstrike available. Airstrikes appear on a random basis and stay overhead
on patrol for about 30 minutes, after which they have to fly back to base. So if you don’t use it, you lose it!
Your available airstrikes can stack up – a number will be displayed on the Airstrike button showing how many are
available.
When you get an airstrike, target it on the enemy:
 Select the Airstrike button on the Orders Tab, or Press the S key
The mouse pointer changes to the cross-hair as you move it over the Battlemap.
 Click on the map location you wish to target – preferably where there is an enemy unit!
Within 5 minutes you should see and hear the airstrike going in. See Airstrikes for more details.
 Use the F4 ( Combat Power ) key to help select a powerful enemy target.
 When targeting a moving enemy, check their Facing ( F5 ) and lead the target – ie select a
location in front of them.
 Airstrikes can damage friendly units so be careful where you target them!
102
Secure, Deny and Construct Bridges
Crossings include all types of bridges,
fords and ferries as well as those points
along a river deemed suitable for ferrying
or building a bridge even though none
are actually present. In some scenarios
they represent tunnels. For large rivers,
crossings represent the only points at
which units can move from one side
to the other and hence become vital to
control.
In general no side ever blew up a crossing

unless threatened by enemy units – you never know when you may want to use the crossing to go the other way.
Moreover, before you can blow a bridge, it must first be primed with explosives – this can take some time and
requires specialised engineers.
 Orders relating to crossings only apply to the single closest crossing to the order location – if you want
to cover two crossings, you need to issue separate orders to different forces for each
Deny Crossing
In CO: BFTB you cannot order your units directly

to blow a bridge. Instead you are limited to ordering
them to Deny the crossing:
 Select your force (preferably including an

engineer unit)
 Issue a Deny Crossing order with the order

location within 500m of the crossing.
Forces so ordered will move to the crossing and defend it. If the crossing is not completely primed, and the force
includes an engineer unit within 500m of the crossing, the force will prime the crossing. This may take some time.
As a rough rule, a 120-man engineer unit will take approximately the following times to prime a crossing:
The colour of the crossing icon will change to pink when it is primed Table 1 – Prime Crossing Times
enough to enable a demolition attempt with a minimum probability Crossing Type Time to Prime
of success. Leaving the engineer unit there will continue to improve
Ferry or Ford 2 hours
the probability.
Light Road Bridge 4 hours
Medium Road Bridge plus 8 hours
Heavy Road Bridge plus 16 hours
Rail Bridge plus 16 hours
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GAME MANUAL
To find out how well-primed a crossing is:
 Select the crossing icon
 Right click to bring up the context menu

and select Crossing Data
This will open the Crossing Point dialog.
 Only Engineer units can prime a crossing
If threatened by superior enemy forces, units

ordered to Deny will make an
attempt to blow the bridge. They
get one crack at it. If successful, up
it goes in smoke. You will receive
a “flash” priority message. Note
that the game may pause for a few
seconds while the Terrain Tables
are recalculated.
If the attempt fails, the crossing

will be marked as un-primed and
will need to be primed again before
another attempt can be made. The
probability of successfully blowing the crossing is reduced if the nearest defending unit (within 500m) is suppressed
by enemy fire, has poor combat effectiveness (fatigue, morale, cohesion), or is a static unit. The probability is
increased if the nearest unit is an engineer, is out of LOS to enemy units - ie behind a hill, dug-in in a town or at
night. While you do not need to keep an engineer at the crossing after its primed to blow it, they do improve the
chances of blowing it.
 To maximise the probability of blowing a crossing, keep nearby enemy units suppressed.
Secure Crossing
If you have to secure a crossing, whether it is
primed or not:
 Select your force ( preferably

including an engineer unit )
 Issue a Secure Crossing order with

the order location within 500m of the
crossing.
104
A force ordered to secure a crossing
will move to the crossing. As soon
as they are within close range of the
crossing they will attempt to un-prime
the crossing – i.e. cut the wires and
remove the explosives. It takes a lot less
time to un-prime than to prime (roughly
a third).
The probability of successfully un-

priming is increased if the securing force
has an engineer unit within 500m of the
crossing. It is decreased if the enemy
has an engineer unit within 500m. It is
also decreased if the closest securing unit is suppressed or has poor fatigue, morale or cohesion.
 Bombard the nearest enemy unit to the crossing

Once the crossing has
been un-primed the
colour of its icon will
change to light grey.
The securing force will
then defend the crossing.
If enemy units try and
prime the crossing,
the securing force will
endeavour to un-prime it
again – so remember to
include an engineer, and
keep the closest enemy
units suppressed.
If the crossing is well

defended you may need
to launch an attack to gain control of it. When doing so you can have your attacking force attempt to un-prime the
crossing:
 Check the Secure Crossing checkbox in the Edit Task dialog
This will ensure that your attack units, especially any engineers assigned, will attempt to un-prime the crossing.
If your objectives for a scenario include securing a crossing, there are some particular conditions you will have to
meet in order to get the points for that objective. See Secure Crossing Objectives for more information.
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GAME MANUAL
Construct Bridge
If the enemy succeeds in blowing a crossing that you need, you may be able to recover the situation by constructing
a bridge to replace the one destroyed. To do so:
 Select a force including at least one Bridging or Engineer unit with a Bridge Building Capacity of at least
one
 Issue a Construct Bridge order ( V key ) with the order location within 500m of the crossing.
A force ordered to construct a bridge

will move to the order location and then
construct a bridge. If there is already a
bridge there it will upgrade it if possible
(for example, from a light to a medium, or
from a medium to a heavy road bridge).
For a bridge to be constructed or upgraded

the force must have at least one Bridging
or Engineer unit with a bridge building
capacity of one or more. This is indicated
on the unit’s icon by the bridge symbol.
The amount of capacity can be viewed in

the unit’s Equipment list ( E&S Tab ). If
the unit has a bridge building capacity it
will be at the top of the Equipment list.
To find units with a bridging capacity

quickly:
 Select Bridge Units from the Unit

Filter button of the Display Toolbar
Table 2 – Construct Crossing Times
or hit the 0 key .
Crossing Type Time to Construct
It takes some time to construct a bridge. The time required varies Light Road Bridge 10 hours
according to the type of bridge being built (longer for medium and Medium Road Bridge plus 20 hours
even longer for heavy bridges), the length of the bridge, the number
of available engineers (the more the better), their current effectiveness
(fatigue / cohesion / training / experience) and level of suppression.
As a rough guide a full strength Bridge Company plus a full strength Table 3 – Crossing Construction Personnel Cap
Eng Company will take approx the following times to construct a
Crossing Type Personnel Cap
100m-long bridge:
Light Road Bridge 600 men
Adding extra engineers reduces these times on a proportional basis. Medium Road Bridge 900 men
However, because of the rather constricted space available there is a Heavy Road Bridge 1200 men
maximum number of engineer personnel that can assist, as follows:
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To review progress:
 Select the crossing icon
 Open the Crossing Point dialog
The progress bar will fill from the left as the bridge is constructed.Until the
bridge is completed it will be ignored in all planning done by the AI. So
if you order a force to Move prior to the bridge being completed, it will
ignore the crossing when determining its route. To take advantage of the new
crossing, you will need to re-issue orders or just move a waypoint) after the
bridge is complete.
Automated Bridge Building
If you order a force to Move to a location and the only route there is via an unbridged crossing and the force has a
bridging capacity, then the AI will automatically schedule a construct bridge task within the Move plan. It will do so
for each river that needs to be bridged, subject to available bridge capacity. For each bridge that needs to be built it
will create an Interim Move task, followed by a Construct Bridge task and a concurrent Interim Defend tasks for those
units that cannot assist
directly with the
construction. It may
create additional
interim Move tasks if it
decides to Move units
independently to the
crossing. Once the last
bridge has been built it
will create a Final move
task to the original
objective.
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GAME MANUAL
Exit Your Units Off the Map

If you have an Exit Objective, you will be able to order your units to leave the map in order to achieve that
objective. To have your troops leave the map:
 Order your units to Exit ( E key ), with the order location inside the radius of the Exit Objective
Your units will Move to the order location, following any waypoints you have specified. Artillery units will not
attempt to establish firebases but will move to the exit point just like the other units. As each unit arrives at the
Exit Objective, it will disappear from the map. Units with subordinates will wait at the order location until all their
subordinates have disappeared before leaving themselves.
 If one or more subordinates cannot make it then detach them to enable the boss to exit.
 You cannot recall units that have left the map; once they are gone, they are gone!
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Resupply Your Units
Units are resupplied through the supply chain on a push-pull basis – ie supplies are pushed onto the map to the
various Bases/Depots but only delivered from these to their drawing units as requested. The whole resupply process
is managed by the AI. You cannot directly manage it. For a detailed explanation of what goes on see Resupply.
However, you can assess the resupply status of your Bases/Depots and units and adjust your orders to take account
of their status. Eg. you can withdraw units whose supply lines are cut or threatened or you can order reinforcements
to clear a path to them. So the first thing is to be aware of the supply status of your forces.
Review Unit Supplies
To see how much supplies a unit has:
 Select the Unit
 Open its Force Data dialog
 Select the Equipment and Supplies ( E&S )

tab from the Force Data (FD) dialog
Determine Supplying Base
To determine which Base/Depot is supplying a

unit:
 Select the Unit
 Select the Depot ( Dep ) tab from the FD dialog
Alternatively:
 Set the Display Lines button of the

Display Toolbar to show Sup ( supply
lines )
 Select the Unit.
A line will be drawn from the drawing unit to its

supplying base/depot.
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GAME MANUAL
Review Unit Supply and Supply Line Status
To see the status of a unit’s supply across the various categories

( Ammo, Arty Ammo, Basics and Fuel ):
 Click the Unit Info button of the Display Toolbar until it

shows the desired category or press F7 repeatedly
to cycle between them
The status indicator is displayed in the Unit Info Box of all units.
In general, the darker the colour is the worse the status.
While all units require Ammo and Basics, not all require Arty
Ammo or Fuel. Where a unit doesn’t, their Info Box will not be
displayed
The final info displayed using F7 key/unit info button is supply line status. Here red indicates the supply line is cut,
orange that is threatened and green that it is open.
 Unlike all other Unit Info ( and unlike the in-game resupply messages ), Supply Line Status is not
“current” but displays the last known data.
It is based on the last time the unit requested supplies and/or a supply column was dispatched. This may be up to
24 hours old and may not reflect the current situation – eg it may show that the route is cut because previously the
unit was surrounded when resupply was last attempted, but now the enemy has withdrawn.
Another method for reviewing supply line status is

to display the supply lines. To do so:
 Set the Display Lines button on the Display

Toolbar to “Sup”
 Select the desired unit
110
This will draw supply lines from the selected unit back up to its supplying base/depot or SEP and down to its
drawing units. The latter only applies when a Base/Depot is selected. Again, red means the line is cut, orange
threatened and green open.
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GAME MANUAL
Review Depot Data
To see how much stock, transport capacity, resupply requests, transport columns and
drawing units a Base has:
 Select the Base
 Select the Depot ( DEP ) tab from the sidebar
See How Much Stock is on hand and how much is required
The numbers displayed are tones currently on hand / stock requirement. Stock arrives
from off map, is transported and stored in Depots in generic quantities. It is converted
to actual rounds of ammo for instance when it is delivered to the individual unit.
Stock requirement is the amount of supplies required by the drawing units to meet
the desired stock level. For Brigade Bases this represents around four days supplies.
The standard stock levels for the various force levels are:
Table 4 – Standard Stock Levels
Unit Size Stock Level (in days)

Army 20 See How Much Transport Capacity is used and available
Corps 10
Division 7 The numbers displayed are tonnes currently used / available. Capacity
being used indicates that supply columns are out delivering supplies
Brigade 4
or returning to Base from making deliveries. Most transport capacity
Battalion 2 is in terms of general payload – ie trucks that can deliver any form of
Company 2 packaged or containerized cargo. Bulk Fuel represents fuel tankers.
Platoon 1
Handling represents how many tones of cargo can be loaded/unloaded
Section 1
per hour. Handling is based on the personnel strength and equipment
of the Depot. If this is less than the available transport capacity it will
take more than one hour to load/unload all the transport vehicles.
See How Many Outstanding Requests the Depot is Processing
Requests are listed according to their status. The numbers displayed are individual requests from individual units
and sub-bases. Unprocessed requests indicate the number waiting in the queue – ie the backlog. Suspended requests
are those from unreachable units – eg whose supply line is cut. Despatched are those where a supply column has
been sent. Aborted are those where the supply column has aborted its mission, usually because of the enemy threat.
Returning are those where the supply column has delivered its supplies and is now returning to base. Returned are
those where the supply column has just returned and is being reabsorbed back into the Depot.
Requests are also listed according to their priority, routine or emergency. Routine requests are generated during the
Resupply Determination event that normally occurs twice per day at 0600 and 1800 hours. In some scenarios, a
112
side may be restricted to just one resupply determination event at 1800. In other words it is restricted to night time
resupply, mainly to avoid interdiction by enemy aircraft.
Emergency requests are generated whenever a unit’s supply level runs below its emergency resupply threshold
set at 50% of normal requirements for ammo and fuel and 33% for basics. So if a unit is heavily engaged and its
ammunition runs very low it will put in an emergency request. These receive priority for processing.
See How Many Transport Columns are currently out
These numbers detail how many columns are currently out and the total number of vehicles and personnel
committed to the columns.
See How Many Units/SubBases are Drawing on this Depot
These detail how many individual units and subBases draw directly on this Depot.
Review Supply Arrival Schedule
The amount of supplies arriving each day varies according to the supply arrival schedule specified by the scenario
designer in the ScenMaker application. The schedule is expressed in terms of a percentage of stock requirements
for the side as a whole. It also specifies what proportion of this total percentage goes to which of the active Supply
Entry Points ( SEPs ). To review the schedule:
 Open the Supply (SUP)

dialog
In this example ( using the

Stacked Column view ) only 50%
of the side’s stock requirements
are going to be met on Day 1.
This clims to 100% by Day 5.
The bar graph also indicates that
SEP2 will receive roughly 50%
of the stocks arriving on Day 1.
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GAME MANUAL
To see details of individual SEPs, including where they are located on the map:
 Click on the SEP icon in the Key or
 Click on any of their coloured bar sections in any of the day columns
Arrival Type can be Ground ( by truck, wagon or manpack ), Airdrop ( parachute ), Airfield ( aircraft ). Supplies
that arrive via Ground, simply transit through the SEP location on their way to the drawing Bases/Depots. The
transport capacity for this is provided from off map at no cost to the on-map Bases/Depots. Supplies arriving via
Airdrop or Airfield are dumped
at the SEP location and have to
be transported by the drawing
Bases/Depots – to move them
requires the commitment of
transport capacity from on-map
Bases.
Road Type is the type of road

used off-map to get to the SEP.
The better this is the sooner the
supplies start arriving. Move
Type is the means by which the
supplies arrive – ie wheeled,
wagon or foot for Ground and
air for Airdrop or Airfield. Again
this affects the speed of arrival.
114
To view the schedule using a different
graph type ( stacked columns, columns
or Lines ):
 Click on the desired graph

type buttons
The Columns graph is useful to see

the individual values of each SEP for
each day. The Lines graph is good for
discerning trends. Note in this example
that the line for SEP1 is masked by the
lines for SEP2 as this has the same
values. As with the Stacked Columns
graph, you can see the data for a
particular SEP by clicking on its key
symbol or on its column or line.
Get Your Units Back in Supply
Units that have their supply lines cut will not receive any resupply. In the interim they will continue to draw down
their existing stocks. Normally you could expect a force cut off from its Base to last around 48 hours.
Once their existing stocks are used up, they will be in peril. Without ammo they will not be able to defend
themselves. Without fuel motorised units will not be able to move and without Basics they will fatigue very
quickly and recover from fatigue very slowly. Without Basics their morale will also start to drop. They will become
very ineffective and will become increasingly more likely to surrender to the enemy.
So it’s important to try and get your units back in supply before these dire effects take place. The best option for
doing so will depend on the situation. Remember that a supply line can be cut by effective enemy fire. You may
need to clear a wide area to make your supply line safe. To re-establish a line of supply:
 Withdraw to friendly controlled territory or
 Send a relieving force to clear a supply line to the cut off force or
 Send a small group from the cut off force back towards the supplying base with a view to determine where
the enemy is cutting the line. Then if this is insufficient by itself, commit other forces to clear the way or
 If the Base itself is threatened ( you will receive a message ), move the Base to a safer location.
Note that for a Base to dispatch supplies it must be deployed ( ie not moving ). It takes considerable time to
redeploy a Base. It may be better to clear the area around the Base of enemy rather than moving the Base. Note that
supply lines are not “all or nothing”. They can be partially blocked and you will get messages to that effect.
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GAME MANUAL
Rest and Wake-up Your Units

Whenever units are stationary and either resting, defending or waiting, their fatigue will reduce. Resting troops
recover fastest. In cold weather your troops will recover faster is urban terrain. Resting units are not so good in a
fire fight, so only order units to Rest if they are unlikely to be involved in serious combat. To have your units rest
in place:
 Order your tired units to Rest.
The default formation type for Rest is In-Situ, which means they will rest where they are when they receive
the order. If you want them to Move to another
location and rest there, then:
 Order your tired units to Defend or Move in

the desired location, or
 Order your tired units to Rest in the

desired location (recommended), and set
the Formation Type to something other
than In-Situ
If units become too tired, they may ignore any

order you have given them and rest instead, where
they are. Well-trained and fit units are less likely
to do this.
To have your units wake up from resting:
 Order them to do anything other than

Rest
However, if they went to Rest on their own initiative

and they are still exhausted, they may again exercise
their initiative and Rest instead. Sometimes, no
amount of coercion will wake a tired soldier.
Recover Cohesion
Whenever units are stationery and either
reorganising, defending, or waiting, they will
recover cohesion – i.e. become better organised.
Reorganising troops recover fastest. However, they
are vulnerable to enemy fire. The default formation
type for Reorg is In-Situ, which means they do
so where they are. To have your units recover
cohesion:
116
 Order your disorganised units to Reorg (recommended), or
 Order your disorganised units to Defend, or
 Delete their current order and they will Defend
Note that reorganising units recover cohesion twice as fast as defending units.
If units become too disorganised, they may ignore any order you have given them and reorg instead, where they
are. Well-trained and well-led units are less likely to do this. Invariably, reinforcements arriving by parachute or
glider will automatically Reorg.
You can order your units to Reorg in a particular location. To do so:
 Order your units to Reorg in the desired location and set a Formation Type other than In-Situ or
Unspecified
They will first move to the location specified and then reorg.
Reorganising units are very vulnerable to bombardment or attack.
Deploy, Dig-In, Entrench, and Fortify Your Units

Deployment status is an important factor in your units’ combat effectiveness – see Deployment. To improve the
deployment status of your units:
 Order your units to Move or Defend
 Leave them alone.
Once units arrive at the order location they will deploy and start to dig in. If there are fortifications (a special
terrain feature) or existing entrenchments (dug by other units) nearby, they will more than likely deploy into these,
unless you have specified an In-Situ formation – in which case they will stay where they are. Note that existing
entrenchments are NOT displayed on the map.
After a time the deployment status of the units will change from Taking Cover to Deployed (10 to 60 minutes), to
Dug-In (around 2 hours) and finally to Entrenched (around 2 days). Units can only become Fortified if they are
on Fort terrain – they cannot build a new fort during the game.
If other units have previously dug-in or entrenched at the location or there is a fort there, then the duration required
to change deployment status to dug-in, entrenched or fortified is quartered.
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GAME MANUAL
Stop Your Units from Moving

If you want your units to halt in place and not move any more:
 Pause the game
 Give your units a static order like Defend,

Secure Crossing, or Deny Crossing
 Select In-Situ Formation Type
 Run the game again (i.e. select one of the

play buttons).
Alternatively:
 You can also set the Formation Type for a

unit already on the move to In-Situ, or
 Delete their current order and they will

wait where they are until they receive
another order
Note that units with Defend In-Situ orders that retreat will not attempt to reoccupy their original location. If you
want them to do so, don’t set their formation type to In-Situ. If you are playing with orders delay, units will not halt
until they receive the order to adopt In-Situ formation.
Prevent Stationary Units from Changing Facing
If you do not specify a facing for a static order like Defend, the force may from time to time change facing towards
the biggest enemy threat. To prevent this happening:
 Set the Facing of your static order
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Check for Enemy Threats
To determine what enemy threats a unit can see:
 Click the Threats button on the Orders Tab, or
 Press the T key
 Select the desired friendly unit.
The brighter the red line, the greater the perceived threat. Remember that this is based on intel reports. It is NOT a
measure of who the selected unit is firing at. This function is called TLOS or Threat Line Of Sight.
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GAME MANUAL
Work with Orders Delay

If you are playing with Orders Delay turned on ( see Set Scenario Options ), there will usually be some time
between when you issue an order and when your units carry it out. For information about the factors affecting the
delay, see Orders Delay. Playing effectively with Orders Delay faces you with a different set of challenges. It’s
all about anticipating the flow of battle, pre-empting your enemy, and deciding when to change plans and when to
forge ahead regardless.
Successful play with Orders Delay is all about dictating the course of battle. If you can force the enemy to react to
you – rather than the other way around – he will always be an hour or two behind as his units wait for their orders
to arrive. You, on the other hand, by following a plan, anticipating events, and issuing orders at the best time, will
be able to seize and retain the initiative!
How Orders Delay is Calculated
Many factors go into calculating orders delay. The base determinant Table 5 - Standard Orders Delay
is force size. As you can see from the adjacent table a Division HQ
Force Size Mot Non-Mot
takes one hour to process orders. But there are always at least two
Duration Duration
levels involved - the sender and the receiver. At each level the order
delay duration is determined by taking two thoirds of the senders Army Group 150 200
delay and one third of the receiver’s delay. Eg from motorised Div Army 120 160
to motorised Bde it would be 53 ( 60 * 2/3 + 40 / 3 ). In the case of Corps 80 110
a mot Div HQ issuing orders down the chain there will typically be Division 60 80
three layers - Div to Bde, Bde to Bn and Bn to Coy. So on average
Bde/Regt 40 60
it would take a motorised Division 117 minutes ( 60 * 2/3 + 40 + 30
+ 20 /3 ) or roughly 2 hours. For a non-motorised Div it would take Bn 30 40
nearly 3 hours. Company 20 30
Platoon 20 30
However, this is further modified by the commander efficiency and
staff qualityat each level. These can vary the times by +/-25% at each Squad/Section 20 30
level. Efficient commanders and good quality staffs can reduce the
times by up to 25%, while poor ones can
increase it by up to 25%. If either of the Table 6 - Standard Command Range
sender or receiver are commanding more
Force Size Mot Mot Non-mot Non-mot
units than they can normally handle - ie
Eff Range Max Range Eff Range Max Range
their command load exceeds their command
capacity - then they will more likely be at Army Group 60,000 80,000 45,000 60,000
the -25% end. Army 37,500 50,000 28,000 37,500
Corps 18,750 25,000 14,000 18,750
The duration is also increased if the range
between the sender and receiver exceeds Division 12,000 16,000 9,000 12,000
the effective command range as listed in the Bde/Regt 6,000 8,000 4,500 6,000
adjacent table. The modifier can be up to Bn 3,000 4,000 3,000 3,000
+50% if it exceeds the Max Range.
Company 1,500 2,000 1,125 1,500
For a full discussion see Orders Delay. Platoon 750 1,000 550 750
Squad/Section 375 500 280 375
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Plan When to Issue Orders
The key to playing effectively with Orders Delay is deciding when to issue your
orders. To have a force start carrying out an order at a particular time, you will need
to issue the order early enough for them to receive it. To have them complete a task
at a particular time, you will need to issue the order early enough for them to both
receive it and carry it out!
To find out how long it will take your units to receive and process your orders:
 Select the HQ commanding the force you want to issue orders to
 Select the Cmdr Tab on the Sidebar
 The Force Delay field tells you roughly how long it will take, in minutes, for
all the units commanded by that HQ to receive an order and start moving.
 When you form a new battlegroup the Force Delay value will not be valid
until the boss of the battlegroup has processed its orders.
Learning how long it will take for units to carry out an order to completion is a bit trickier. In part, it comes from
experience – practice issuing orders and noting down the time at which they were received, how long it took your
units to move and how long it took them to finish the order. You can use a couple of very rough rules-of-thumb to
estimate movement speeds for units moving in formation (these depend on the Mobility Type of your forces – see
Mixed-Mode Movement ):
 Motorised Units – average normal speed is 12 km/h on good roads

 Non-Motorised ( Foot ) Units – average normal speed is 3 km/h on good roads
Tired units move slower. Contact with the enemy will make moves a lot slower!
To see how to coordinate orders from different HQ’s so that they execute at similar times see Set Start, End, and
Assault At times.
 Note that units routing or rout recovering do not process orders.

Learning to work with order delays often means issuing new orders before the current set have fully completed.
For example, an attack has been largely successful and is in the final reorg or the exploit beyond the objective
phase, you might consider issuing new orders for the defensive formation, footprint, and facing at this point.
However, one of the worst times to issue new orders is in the middle of an attack.
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GAME MANUAL
Avoid Causing Replans
When the situation changes significantly, a HQ will replan – it starts from scratch, makes an estimate of the enemy
and friendly situation, the terrain, its task, and the time available – and reissues orders to all its subordinates. This
process understandably takes a lot of time and the resulting orders will be subject to orders delay. Some replans
are unavoidable; a force ordered to Attack, that finds itself thrown back by a strong defence, will need to replan
before trying to attack again. However, some are caused by player actions and can be prevented from happening,
thus saving some time.
Bear in mind that if a force is in the middle of carrying out an order, and you make a change that causes the force
to replan, the subordinate units are likely to keep moving until they receive the new orders. This can cause your
units to become spread out, increasing delays, and possibly leaving you open to attack. You will have to weigh this
possibility against the risk of letting your forces go ahead with a not-quite-perfect plan. Sometimes changing your
orders can make things worse!
Changes that Cause a Replan
Adding units to a force, or taking units away (by issuing orders directly to those units, including them in a new
force group, or by reattaching them if they were not an organic subordinate of the force) will cause the force to
replan. Changing allow Basing will incur a delay because it will modify the force groups.
Changing an order location ( ObjLoc ), or the FUP of an Attack/Probe , will always cause a replan.
Unchecking Allow Attacks while an attack is underway will cause a replan.
If you set a moving force to In-Situ formation, it will incur orders delay; the component units of the force won’t
halt until they have received the change. If you set a force halted with In-Situ formation to another formation type,
it will replan (incurring orders delay) and units will not start moving until they have received the change. When
you change an order to In-Situ (or change an In-Situ order to some other formation), no other changes to the order
will be processed until after the force has conducted the replan.
Changes that Don’t Cause a Replan
Bombard orders don’t cause a replan, because artillery units operated their own radio nets and used procedures
that were capable of producing almost instant responses to fire orders. Because artillery generally required time to
set up, artillery units on the move may still require some time to get deployed and actually start firing, even though
they act on the order immediately.
Fire orders don’t cause replans either.
Intermediate Waypoints can be moved without causing a replan – so if you are looking to bypass any resistance
on a Move, or during the Move to the FUP phase of an Attack, it’s a good idea to plot the route using waypoints
every 1000-2000m and send a single unit to scout ahead. When the scout discovers enemy defences, you can move
the waypoints to bypass the enemy. You can also add and delete waypoints without incurring delay – as long as
you don’t change the order location or attack FUP in the process.
Changing the task options to allow Attacks, Bypass, Ambush and Stragglers generally do not incur orders delay.
However a delay will be incurred, if an attack is already underway and you uncheck allow Attacks. Changing allow
122
Basing will incur a delay because it will modify the force groups.
Some other situations which generally don’t cause replans or incur orders delay are listed below. The list isn’t
complete, so there is still room for you to experiment and discover some of this for yourself, but in general
anything not specifically mentioned below will probably incur orders delay.
Move or Defend Orders
 Changing Speed, Route, Aggro, ROF, and Losses

 Changing Frontage, Depth, and Facing
 Changing Formation, except for In-Situ, which does incur orders delay
Attack or Probe Orders
 Changing Speed, Route, ROF, and Losses

 Changing Frontage, Depth, or Facing
 Changing Formation (except for In-Situ) during the move to FUP, or sometimes (but not always) during
the assault
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GAME MANUAL
Understanding Game Elements

The Map
Comparing CO2 to the game of Chess, the map is the playing board while the units are the playing pieces.
The Battlemap is a vector drawn (2D) representation of the battle area. In most cases it has been produced from
digital scans of a variety of WWII tactical maps. In general the maps are accurate to within 8m, although built
up areas have been abstracted, rather than representing each building. Further, to reduce clutter, not all roads and
tracks are displayed – their effects have been abstracted into the other terrain types.
Because the game uses a 100m movement grid, some roads which run a few metres alongside rivers have
been relocated 100m away to ensure that the river cannot be crossed. Similarly, some of the bridges have been
lengthened a little to ensure that they do allow movement across the major rivers. Apart from these minor functional
abstractions, we have endeavoured to draw the most accurate maps possible.
Terrain features are drawn in layers, each overlayed in a specific order for presentation purposes. However,
regardless of the order in which they are displayed, all layers still retain their effects on movement, combat and
visibility. See Annex E – Terrain Effects Chart for details.
To determine the dominant terrain at any location, see Identify Terrain Types.
In general, bridges, roads, rail, water, forts and urban terrain take precedence – in other words if they are present
their effect will be used to the exclusion of others. However, roads and rail only apply if moving in road column,
and streams act as a modifier on the underlying terrain type rather than replacing it.
A complex algorithm is used to determine the terrain effects on visibility and direct and indirect fire. In general,
visibility is reduced by a certain percentage as specified in the Terrain Effects Chart (TEC) each time a line of
sight traverses the terrain ( see Night, Weather and Visibility ). The TEC also specifies the percentage modifiers
applying for each terrain type to direct and area fire ( see Combat ).
Altitude layers correspond to map contours and are shaded from light to dark, with dark being the higher altitudes.
Altitude can block or enhance line of sight and hence visibility ( see Spotting and LOS ). Further, units get a hit
bonus when firing down on targets and suffer a negative effect when firing up at a higher target.
Overlaying the terrain layers are various grids for movement, side control, firepower and so on. The only one you
can see represented is the 1km map grid that is used to give you an idea of scale and distances. To hide / show the
map grid see Miscellaneous Buttons.
124
Units
These represent the various military organisations of the Axis and Allied armies that took part in the battle. The
standard unit size is a company of 120 – 150 soldiers ( though some may be weaker and some may be up to 300
men strong ). Other supporting units may be smaller ( platoons and troops ) or larger (battalions and regiments).
These are the playing pieces you use to achieve your objectives.
Combat Class
Units are always one of six combat classes – HQ, Line, Line Support, Support, Base, or Static.
HQ units are responsible for commanding other units.
Line units are the primary fighting elements of the force; infantry, recon and armoured units are always Line, as
are specialised assault engineers. Their role is to engage in direct combat with the enemy.
Line Support units are expected to engage in direct combat with the enemy but in a supporting role. This includes
elements like anti-tank gun platoons, machine-gun infantry, or ordinary engineers.
Support units are units that are not generally expected to engage the enemy directly but are instead intended to
provide a specific support capability. Units like indirect-fire artillery and specialised construction engineers fall
into this category.
Base units are those responsible for the management, stockpiling, and distribution of supplies. They are not
expected to engage in combat. Each Base unit has an integrated Depot and supply dump.
Static units are garrisons assigned to a specific, permanent defensive position. They are expected to engage in
combat if attacked and will stand until destroyed or forced to surrender. They cannot be issued orders.
Military Structure
As discussed in the tutorials, CO: BFTB accurately models the hierarchical command structure employed by
armies to allow commanders to effectively wield large numbers of men, guns and vehicles in battle.
Each level of the structure has a particular name (although these names can vary a little depending on the army or
branch).
 In general, the names used in this manual are those of the United States Army
At the very top are Army Groups and Armies, both of which will rarely appear in the game. Corps (sometimes
called Army Corps) are the highest level usually found in the game and have two or more Divisions assigned plus
a lot of supporting units like extra artillery and engineers. Each Division contains three Regiments plus more
supporting units like artillery battalions, recce battalions, engineers and so on. Regiments each have two or more
Battalions, each of which has between three and five Companies. There may also be a number of assorted support
units like anti-tank guns or mortars, in even smaller groupings like Platoons or Troops, or company-sized support
units like engineers, assigned to battalions and higher headquarter units.
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GAME MANUAL
The table below shows the main levels of the structure and their corresponding names and composition. There are
a couple of levels that aren’t listed on the table because they are not common – the German Brigade (Bde), which
fits between the German Regiment and Division; and the British Detachment (Det), which is usually half or a third
of a tank or artillery Section.
Table 7 - Military Structure Names and Sizes
Symbol Unit Size Men (Approx) British British British United States German - SS
Infantry Armor Artillery
XXX 2+ Divs 20000-40000 Corps Corps Corps Corps
XX 2-3 Bdes 10000-20000 Div Div Div Div
X 2-3 Bns 1000-2000 Bde Bde
III 2-3 Bns 1000-2000 Regt Regt
III 3-5 Sqns / Btys 400-800 Regt Regt Cavalry Gp
II 3-5 Coys 400-800 Bn Bn Bn / Gp
I 3-4 Pls 100-160 Coy Sqn Bty Coy / Sqn / Bty Coy / Sqn / Bty
 2-4 Sects 30-40 Pl Tp Tp Pl / Tp Pl
 5-10 men 5-10 Sect Sect Sect Sqd Sqd
3-4 vehicles
3-4 guns
Organic and Attached Units
Except for the most senior unit, each unit has a superior – the unit that it ‘belongs to’ or is assigned to – its boss. It
may also have subordinates that are assigned to it.
Military forces routinely train in these organisations and will establish groups of companies, battalions, brigades
that are used to operating together. This is called the organic structure, and a unit’s boss in this structure is
called its organic superior. Similarly, a unit that is commanded by a HQ in the organic structure is an organic
subordinate of that HQ. Sometimes, however, units may need to be shifted from one command to another. When
this happens, the unit is detached from its organic superior and attached to its new commander. This is known
as the player structure. In some cases, two HQs may actually ‘trade’ units – for example, a tank battalion may
swap one of its tank companies for a company of mechanised infantry.
The organic structure is permanent. It does not change throughout the game. However, the player structure is
dynamic and changes each time you create a new group of units ( see Group and Ungroup Units ), or when
your computer controlled commanders reassign units to accomplish particular tasks (eg. a divisional HQ may
temporarily attach its own organic engineer unit to one of its brigades).
Because units train for battle in their organic structure, organic subordinates place less load on their HQ when
playing with orders delay. You can achieve quicker response times by keeping your units in their organic structures
as much as possible; balance this against the advantage of infantry-armour cooperation possible with cross-
attachments.
It is possible to create a group of units that does not contain a HQ! In this case, the most senior unit will take
command, becoming the battlegroup commander, to whom the other units in the group are attached. This is not
usually desirable since non-HQ units lack the staff of an HQ and will take longer to process orders for the group.
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Units Under Your Direct Command
When you give an order to a unit, you effectively tell it to develop a plan for it and all its current subordinates,
which will include all of its non-detached organic subordinates plus any other attached units. So if you order a
battalion to Move to X location, the battalion will move there along with all its companies. In giving the order to
the battalion you are detaching it from its organic superior and placing it under your direct command. When this
happens the colour of the command bar on its unit icon will change to white.
If you were to select another unit, say an engineer company, along with the battalion and then gave the group an
order, you are attaching the engineer unit to the battalion and detaching it from its current superior. The engineer
company’s command bar would not turn to white as it is not under your direct command, only the battalion HQ
unit is.
Command Lines and Highlighting
If you have Command Lines ( see Command and Supply Lines ) turned on and the current OB display is set to
‘Player’ ( see Force Structures ) then whenever a single unit is selected, green command lines are drawn from
the unit selected to its direct subordinates. If the unit is currently under the command of another unit, then a blue
command line is drawn to its superior. If you have given the unit a command directly, then a grey command line
will be drawn to its organic superior. When you give a direct order to a unit, the Command Bar at the bottom of the
unit icon will change colour to white – see Command Bar for details.
Whenever one or more units are

selected, all the subordinates
of all selected units will be half
highlighted (the colour of their icon
will be a lighter shade).
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GAME MANUAL
Note in this
example that if
the current Force
Structure was
Organic, the line
drawn between the
selected unit and
organic superior
would be blue and
there would be
no line between
the selected unit
and the current
superior.
As you can see, HQs are a vital part of the command structure. Their staff capability and experience in organising
their subordinates are what enables the efficient execution of the commander’s wishes – your orders!
HQs are identified in the game by a flag symbol on their unit icon ( see Unit Icons ).
Degree of Freedom of HQs Under Player Command

Once you have issued an order, the senior HQ or battlegroup commander has a certain amount of leeway in
planning how to carry it out. He can choose any setting (such as Formation Type, Route, or Frontage and Depth)
that you have left as Unspecified or Auto. He will plan his route between the waypoints you have set, depending
on either the route type you have ordered, or his own choice of route if you have left it up to him. In an Attack or
Probe, if you have not specified a FUP ( see Seize an Objective ), then your battlegroup commander will choose
one himself based on his estimate of the terrain and enemy.
One thing your commanders do not have the authority to do, is to change or abandon their orders. If ordered to
Move, they will not Attack instead. If ordered to Attack, they will continue to do so until they either take the
objective or you call them off! There are only two exceptions to this; Probes (where your commander can decide
to bunker down – see Launch a Probe ); and Secure Crossing / Deny Crossing orders, which may be abandoned
when the crossing is blown.
So it is important to monitor the progress of the forces under your direct command and where necessary to modify
or issue new orders to cater for the situation.
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Retreating and Routing HQs
Your HQs are worth protecting. If an HQ is
forced to retreat, or even worse, to rout, it will
be unable to process orders from you until it
is fully recovered. It will also be unable to
organise its subordinates, so whatever the
battlegroup was doing, will almost certainly
become disorganised and bog down.
Destroying HQs
If a HQ is destroyed, command of its
subordinates will go to the next senior unit.
Eg, if a Bde HQ is destroyed command of
the brigade will go to the most senior Bn
HQ in the brigade. If a Bn HQ is destroyed, command will go to the senior company within the Bn. Needless
to say, the new commanding HQ/unit will not be as well equipped to manage the force. A Bn HQ staff will be
adversely penalised when other Battalions are placed under command and likewise for companies commanding
other companies.
Unit Names
To allow easy recognition of each unit’s place in the organic structure, each army and branch adopted a naming
standard for their units. Some armies (particularly the newer ones like the US and Germans) used a more systematic
standard (based almost totally on letters and numbers.) The British forces, with their longer traditions, tended to
use more unique names and had more ‘exceptions to the rule’.
For CO: BFTB the naming conventions have been more or less standardized. The “st”, “nd”, “rd” and “th” has
been dropped from the unit’s designation such that “second” will be represented by a “2”, “fifth” will be simply a 5,
etc. With a few exceptions, battalion headquarters display the “HQ” after the battalion name or number designation
followed by the regiment designation. Otherwise the “HQ” is placed at the end of the unit name.
British Forces
British infantry battalions were named according to their traditional parent ‘regiments’ (usually these were based
on a particular recruiting area) – the battalions of each infantry regiment would be allocated to different brigades
and divisions, however, and would usually be deployed to completely different theatres of war so that no recruiting
region could lose all its young men in a single battle. The battalion would be referred to by its position in the
regiment and the regiment name:
 6 Bn HQ Royal Welsh Fusiliers – the HQ of the 6th battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, allocated to
160 Infantry Brigade of the 53 (Welsh) Infantry Division.
 4 Bn HQ Welch Regt – the HQ of the 4th battalion of the Welch Regiment, allocated to the 160 Infantry
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GAME MANUAL
Brigade of 53 (Welsh) Infantry Division.
Most British armoured battalions were reclassified as regiments after WWI. They were also referred to by number
and name:
 3 RTR HQ – the HQ of the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment, allocated to 29th Armoured Brigade.
 4 Bn HQ Gren Gds – the HQ of the 4th battalion of the Grenadier Guards Regiment, allocated to 6th
Guards Tank Brigade.
British infantry and armoured companies were lettered in sequence within each battalion or regiment. Armoured
companies were generally classified as squadrons. Infantry battalions included a HQ Company made up of support
weapons platoons like mortars and machine-guns; these are either distributed among the other companies or, in the
case of mortars, they are shown as a platoon with the battalion name and / or number.
 B Coy 2 Monmouth – the second infantry company in 2nd battalion of the Monmouthshire Infantry
Regiment.
 B Sqn 3 RTR – the second tank squadron in 3rd Royal Tank Regiment.
 Mor Pl 6 RWF – the mortar platoon of 6th Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers Infantry Regiment.
British artillery battalions were also called regiments, and were referred to by a number and either the letters RA
(Royal Artillery), RHA (Royal Horse Artillery), or RM (Royal Marines). Generally, RHA units were allocated to
armoured formations and RA units to everyone else. RA units equipped with normal artillery guns could be Field
(Fd), Medium (Mdm), or Heavy (Hvy) Regiments depending on the size of their guns. Specialist artillery units like
anti-tank (AT), heavy anti-aircraft (HAA), and light anti-aircraft (LAA) would have these letters included in their
names as well. Unless otherwise noted in the name, all RHA units were field regiments.
 81 Field Regt RA – an RA regiment, equipped with field guns, in the 53rd Infantry Division
 87 Bty 25 LAA Regt RA – a light anti-aircraft regiment in the 53rd Infantry Division
RA batteries were numbered but not always in sequence (for example 64th Mdm Regt, RA had two batteries: 211th
and 234th. Sometimes artillery batteries would be amalgamated and the new unit would take both numbers; for
example, 15th/40th AT Bty, which was an amalgamation of 15th AT Bty and 40th AT Bty. The RHA batteries were
originally lettered across all the regiments but by 1941 most batteries had been amalgamated; for example, 2nd Regt
RHA contained H/I Bty and L/N Bty.
 25/26 Mdm Bty 7 Mdm Regt, RA – an amalgamated battery of medium guns in 7th Medium Regt RA
 284 Bty 71 AT Regt RA – a towed 17-pdr anti-tank gun battery in the 71st AT Regt, RA
British Engineer companies were numbered, although not in any particular sequence. There were two types: Field
Companies, which handled most of the construction tasks, and Field Park Companies, which acted mainly as an
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equipment pool for the Fd Coys but could conduct engineering tasks on their own if needed. British engineer
companies are identified by their number and the letters RE (Royal Engineer). Engineer companies in armoured
formations were classified as squadrons instead of companies.
At the higher level, British brigades and divisions were numbered (not in any particular order) and referred to by
their role as armoured or infantry.
German and American Forces
The Germans and Americans identified their divisions by role and numbered the divisions of each role more or less
in sequence. When naming the divisions, the Germans put the role first and the number last, and the Americans did
the opposite. For simplicity, the American naming standard is used in CO: BFTB.
 9 Pz Div HQ – the HQ of the German ninth Armored (Panzer) Division

 2 Armored Division HQ – the HQ of the American 2nd Armored Division
 12 Volksgrenadier Division HQ – the HQ of the 12th Volksgrenadier (people’s infantry) Division
Like the United States, the Germans used the regiment as their main tactical group within the division. Both named
their regiments by role and numbered the regiments with each role in sequence.
 12 SS Panzer Regt HQ – the HQ of the German 12th SS Armored (Panzer) Regiment, allocated to
12th SS Panzer Division.
 48 Grenadier Regt HQ – the HQ of the German 48th Infantry Regiment, allocated to 12th Volksgrenadier
Division
 23 Infantry Regt HQ – the HQ of the American 23rd Regimental Combat Team, allocated to 2nd
Infantry Division
Within each regiment, companies were numbered (if German) or lettered (if American) in sequence and referred to
by their number and role (exception: the Americans did not have an “H” Coy.) Starting with the first company in
each regiment, every three to five companies were grouped into battalions, which were numbered in each regiment
with Germans using Roman numerals and Americans using standard numbering. In most German regiments the
last few companies were heavy-weapons units left out of the battalions and commanded directly by the regiment
HQ. Some of these companies were normally broken up and a platoon allocated to each battalion in the regiment;
for simplicity these have been named after the battalion they are allocated to and the company number has been
dropped.
 II Bn HQ 9 FJ Regt – the HQ of the second battalion of FJ Regt 9

 9 Coy 26 SS PG Regt – the ninth company of 26th SS Armored Infantry (Panzergrenadier) Regiment,
falling into the third battalion of the regiment, which was allocated to 12th SS Panzer Division.
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GAME MANUAL
 2 Coy 48 Gren Regt – the 2nd company of 48th Grenadier Regt, falling into the first battalion of the
regiment, which was allocated to 12th Volksgrenadier Division
 13 (IG) Coy 48 Gren Regt – the 13th company 48th Grenadier Regt, equipped with infantry guns (a light
artillery piece) and directly under command of the regiment HQ
 1 Coy 277 PzJg Bn – the motorised Panzerjaeger (anti-tank) Company of the 277th Volksgrenadier
Division’s Panzerjaeger Bn
In some battalions, the last company was a heavy-weapons or machine-gun unit. The platoons of these companies
are usually either broken down among the infantry companies or represented in CO: BFTB as a single platoon with
the same number as the battalion. In these regiments you will see that some company numbers are skipped between
battalions – the missing numbers belong to the companies that have been broken up in the game. For example, in
15 FJ Regt, there are three battalions, each of three FJ companies, a mortar platoon, and an infantry gun platoon.
The companies in I Bn 15 FJ Regt are numbered 1st, 2nd and 3rd; in II Bn you have 5th, 6th, and 7th; and in III Bn
you have 9th, 10th, and 11th. Directly under regiment control is the 13th mortar Coy and Pak (anti-Tank) Platoon. So
where are the 4th, 8th, and 12th companies? They are the heavy weopons companies, each comprised of four heavy
machine-gun squads, an infantry gun platoon and a mortar platoon. The heavy machine-guns are allocated to the
FJ Coys in each battalion, and the remaining mortar and infantry gun platoons have been simply given the same
number as the battalion. The PzJg Coy – comprised of one anti-tank gun platoon and 3 panzerschreck platoons
– has been broken up and its panzerschreck platoons allocated to each of the companies and the anti-tank gun
platoon remains as the 14th company in the Regiment.

Mortar Pl 4 Coy 15 FJ Regt – the mortar platoon of the first battalion of FJ Regt 15; this actually
belonged to the fourth, heavy-weapons company of the regiment which is not represented as a single
company in the Battalion.

Pak Pl, 14 Coy 15 FJ Regt – the anti-tank platoon allocated to FJ Regt 15; this actually belonged to the
PzJg company of the regiment which is not represented as a company.
Artillery units in CO: BFTB are usually battalions and were numbered generally the same way as armour and
infantry battalions. Allied artillery were named with the size of gun they used, Germans used roman numerals to
roughly identify the class (I = light, II, III = Medium, and IV Heavy).

905 Fd Arty Bn (105) – the 905th field artillery battalion, equipped with 105mm field guns or Howitzers
and allocated to the US 80th Infantry Division.

IV Bn 406 VAK – the fourth battalion of the 406 Volksartillery regiment, equipped with heavy (>105mm)
guns.
German engineer companies were called Pioniere. Most German and American divisions had a battalion of
engineers; usually these were employed as individual companies so the battalion HQs do not appear in the game.

1 Coy 47 Pioneer Bn – the 1st engineer company of Pioneer Bn 47, allocated to LXXXV Korps and
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employed as an individual company

C Coy 101 Eng Combat Bn – Company C of the 101st engineer combat battalion, allocated to the US
26th Infantry Division.
The Germans also employed a formation called a Brigade which was effectively a mini-division, consisting of
several battalions of different types which were sometimes organised into regiments within the Brigade. There
are 3 formations of this type in CO: BFTB, the Führer Begleit Brigade, Führer Grenadier Brigade, and Otto
Skorzeney’s ad hoc 150th Panzer Brigade. All of them had an armored battalion and various infantry and support
units attached.
Unit Icons
Each unit is represented on the Battlemap by an icon. This has a symbol at the top left representing the type of unit
it is (infantry, armour, artillery etc), a unit designation drawn across the centre (for example, “CCB.7”, for Combat
Command B of the 7th Armoured Division), a command bar at the bottom, a size symbol on the command bar, a
flag if it is a HQ, a coloured box indicating its engagement status if engaged in battle, and an Info Box in the top
right which is used to dynamically display summary data about the unit.
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GAME MANUAL
Side / Service / Branch
The background colour of the icon indicates which Country and/or Service the unit belongs to. The colour of the
designation text indicates a sub-branch within that country or service.
Table 8 - Unit Icon Colours
Background Text Service and Branch

Grey Black German Army
White German SS
Black Olive German Greif Combat troops
Orange Dutch SS
Blue Light Blue German Air Force
Blue Black German Airborne
Dark Blue Light Blue German Navy
Olive Black United States Army
Dark Olive Cream United States Airborne
Dark Red British Army
Light Brown
Cream British Guards
Red Yellow British Airborne
Light Grey Red Polish Airborne
Orange Black Dutch Army
Red Yellow Belgian Army
Type
The Unit Type symbol can be displayed either as a picture or as a NATO-style military symbol. The different
types of symbols provide different information. For example, the picture symbols differentiate between mortars,
artillery, and infantry guns; while the military symbols provide more information about whether a unit is on foot,
motorised, or tracked.
A list of all the symbols of both types and what they refer to is in Annex D – Unit Types and Symbols.
Designation
The Designation of each unit is printed across the middle of the icon and is an abbreviated form of the unit name
( see Unit Names ). Usually the designation will show the letter or number of the unit and the letter or number of
its parent unit. The parent unit is usually the same as the organic superior but in some cases the organic structure
already includes some cross-attachments (such as where a tank company is allocated to an infantry battalion). In
these cases the parent unit will be different from the organic superior – in this case, the parent unit will be the tank
battalion HQ rather than the infantry battalion HQ.
Some designations will not include a parent designation, either for reasons of space or, for higher formations like
134
brigades, because these did not have a parent organisation but were instead simply allocated to divisions or corps
on a semi-permanent basis.
In unit designations the period (.) is used between subordinates and their parent Battalion or Regiment/Brigade
HQs. For simplicity this was used as the standard designation throughout all nationalities represented in CO:
BFTB.
Command Bar
The colour of the Command Bar shows whether the unit is currently under your direct command, or under the
command of an AI-controlled unit. For units you have given orders to, the command bar will be white; for units
under AI control (including the subordinates of a unit to whom you have given orders), the command bar will be
olive drab or grey, depending on the side you are playing.
Additional symbols are displayed on the Command Bar:
 A symbol showing the command level/size of the unit is shown in the centre of the command bar; see
Table 5 - Military Structure Names and Sizes for a list of the symbols
 For HQ units, a small flag is displayed on the left end of the Command Bar
 For engineer units, a small bridge symbol is displayed on the left end of the Command Bar to indicate
that the unit has bridge building capacity available; when the unit runs out of bridge building capacity,
the bridge symbol will disappear from the unit icon
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GAME MANUAL
Engagement Status Indicator
When a unit is engaged in combat its engagement status is indicated by a small coloured box at the right of the
command bar. The box will show the following conditions:
 White – surrendering to the enemy

 Red – taking casualties
 Orange – receiving fire
 Blue – firing
Items at the top of the list replace the ones below. Eg. a unit both firing and receiving fire will show an Orange
Engagement Status indicator instead of a Blue one. Note that surrendering here does not necessarily mean the
entire unit, rather thaat some of the personnel from the unit are surrendering.
Info Box
The Info Box, displayed at the top right of a unit’s icon, can provide an overview of the status of all your units at
a glance ( see Unit Info Filter ). For detailed information about a particular unit, refer to its Unit Info Display in
the Sidebar.
 The current Info Box setting is shown on the Unit Info button of the toolbar
Only one type of information can be displayed at any time. The different types of information you can display in
the Info Box are:
Task ( F1 ) shows the orders or task each unit is carrying out, using the same symbols as the Orders Tab commands.
Units with a blank Info Box have no orders. If you have turned orders delay on, a pink background in the Info
Box tells you that orders have been sent to a unit but it has not received them yet. See Command Your Units and
Objectives, Orders, and Tasks for more information about orders and tasks.
Rout Status ( F2 ) shows if the unit is carrying out its orders or not. See Rout Status.
Table 9 - Rout Status

Icon Status Meaning
OK Units actively carrying out orders
Halted Units temporarily stopped due to enemy resistance
Retreating Unit pulling back to safety due to heavy enemy fire
Retreat Recovery Retreated unit preparing to return to the advance
Routing Unit fleeing in disarray with broken morale
Rout Recovery Routed unit recovering morale, preparing to rejoin battle
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Strength ( F3 ) shows how close the unit is to its theoretical full strength in personnel and equipment. Green is
close to full strength, yellow is about half strength, and red means the unit is almost burned up. Note that units
often start a scenario understrength and hence this is not a good indication of losses since the scenario start. See
Strength and Losses for more information.
Combat Power ( F4 ) The number indicated (0 – 9) is an approximate measure of how powerful a unit is compared
to other units. It factors in firepower, strength and effectiveness values. A combat power of 9 is twice as powerful
as an 8, which in turn, is twice as powerful as a 7 and so on. The background colour in the Info Box reflect the
rout status of the unit: green is OK or halted, brown is retreating or retreat-recovering, and red is routing or rout-
recovering. A unit with a combat power of zero had best not get involved in any shooting!
Deployment ( F5 ) indicates how well dug-in your units are (if at Table 10 – Deployment Status
all). See Deploy, Dig-In, Entrench, and Fortify Your Units and Icon Deployment Status
Deployment for more information.
Undeployed (standing or walking)
Facing ( F5 ) is the direction the unit is heading or deployed Taking Cover
towards. The long side of the bracket represents the front of the Deployed
unit and the open side the rear. Facing is also indicated by the Dug-In
white coloured deployment or occupied area box drawn over or
Entrenched
around the unit icon when it is selected – see Select Units and
Footprint and Facing. Fortified
Morale ( F6 ) indicates your units’ will to fight. Units with high

morale will have a light green info box; units with a dark green info box have had enough of the fight. See
Morale, Fatigue, and Cohesion for more information.
Cohesion ( F6 ) shows the degree of organisation in the unit. Light blue indicates a well-organised unit; dark blue
shows a complete shambles. See Morale, Fatigue, and Cohesion for more information.
Fatigue ( F6 ) shows how tired your troops are. A Light red colour means your troops are fresh; dark red units
are exhausted. See Morale, Fatigue, and Cohesion for details.
Ammo ( F7 ) shows how much ammo a unit has relative to its normal stock requirements. Light grey means their
ammo level is high, dark grey means empty.
Arty Ammo ( F7 ) is useful to get a quick picture of your artillery reserves. Only units able to bombard (like field
artillery, mortars and rockets) will display this item; other units will show a blank info box when it is selected.
Artillery units with a light blue info box have close to their full complement of shells, bombs or rockets; units with
a dark blue box have run out and will only be able to engage enemies they can hit with their personal weapons.
Basics ( F7 ) shows how much food, water and other equipment a unit has relative to its normal stock requirements.
Light brown means they have plenty, dark brown means they go hungry.
Fuel ( F7 ) shows how much fuel a unit has relative to its normal stock requirements. Only units that require fuel
will display this item. Light blue means the fuel tanks are full, dark blue means they have run dry.
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GAME MANUAL
Footprint and Facing
When a unit is selected or highlighted, a white perimeter

box will show that unit’s footprint – the rough outline of the
area occupied by the troops of that unit. The open side of the
perimeter box indicates the rear of the unit. This is useful for
checking that units are deployed into covered terrain, that they
do not overlap, or that the gaps between units are not too large.
It is also handy for making sure your units are facing the most
important enemy threat.
Units firing in a direction other than their facing have their

firepower reduced. Also, this usually means that they will
suffer more casualties from enemy fire due to their formation
effects. So it’s a very good idea to try and assault an enemy on
its flank or rear. Units suffer a loss in cohesion each time they
adjust their facing.
Force Data Display
When you select one or more units and open the Force Data dialog, their information will be displayed in what
is referred to as the Force Data Display. At the top of the display are the Name, Task/Reaction and Action/
Deployment fields. Below this are the six tab views, one of which is viewable at any time: Gen ( general status ),
E&S ( equipment and supplies ), Cmd ( command ), Dep ( depot ) Hist ( history ) and Log ( event log ).
The Force Data Display is also shown when you select an enemy intel report and open the but not all tabs will
contain information and the information that is presented can be very inaccurate (depending on how good the
sighting is).
Name
See Unit Names for an explanation of these.
Task / Reaction
The Task / Reaction field indicates either what order or task the unit is carrying out (such as Moving, Defending,
or Assaulting), or if the unit is not carrying out an order or task this will display the reason (such as Retreating,
Bunkering Down, or Waiting).
Action / Deployment
The Action / Deployment field either shows the unit’s current action (like Firing or Moving) or its deployment
status (like Taking Cover, Deployed, or Entrenched).
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General ( Gen ) Tab
Dynamic Indicator Bars

The Gen tab has a number of indicator
bars used to show how strong, effective or
suppressed the unit is relative to its theoretical
full strength (and in the case of Personnel,
Equipment and Morale relative to the original
value at the start of the scenario), plus exact
values for its current strength and firepower.
If you select several units, the values shown
on the progress bars will be the average of the
values of each unit.
Personnel – the light blue indicates how close

to full manning the unit is currently; the dark
blue shows what its condition was at the start
of the game.
Equipment – comprises all weapon systems and principal vehicles – those items which directly contribute to the
unit’s ability to move and fight. Like Personnel, this progress bar shows the current condition in light blue and the
starting condition in dark blue.
Morale –indicates your units’ will to fight. The morale of your units at the start of the scenario is shown in dark
blue; their current morale is shown in light blue. See Morale, Fatigue, and Cohesion for more information.
Cohesion – shows the degree of organisation in the unit. See Morale, Fatigue, and Cohesion for more
information.
Fatigue – shows how tired your troops are. Try to keep this value as low as possible. See Morale, Fatigue, and
Cohesion for details.
Suppression – when units are under heavy fire they become suppressed. They become less able to spot or fire at
enemy units, direct artillery fire, or move. If your forces are becoming heavily suppressed, the enemy is winning
the fire fight and you should either withdraw or allocate extra firepower to overcome his advantage. Suppression
is a very temporary effect and when units are no longer under fire their suppression level will drop rapidly. Try to
keep this value as low as possible.
Static Indicator Bars

The set of static indicator bars show the unit level of training, fitness, aggression and stubbornness. These values
do not change during play.
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GAME MANUAL
Experience refers to the amount of combat experience the unit has. Given the relative short period of the battle
there is only a very slight chance of a unit’s experience level being increased and no chance of it being decreased
(unless the unit gets destroyed, of course). Units with lots of experience are better at retaining and regaining
morale, retaining and recovering cohesion, firing their weapons, changing formation and facing, deploying and
digging in and processing orders.
Training refers to the amount of military instruction and exercising the unit has undertaken. This will not vary
during the period of the battle. Highly trained units are better at retaining and recovering cohesion, firing their
weapons, changing formation and facing, deploying and digging in and processing orders.
Training complements experience. In some ways one can compensate for the other. The best units are both highly
trained and seasoned veterans.
Fitness reflects the physical stamina and conditioning of the troops. Fit units move faster, tire less and recover
freshness quicker. Some elite units, like paratroopers and mountain troops, were extremely fit and are capable of
marching further and faster with less sleep than ordinary troops.
It is not a good idea to issue orders with the Speed set to Fastest to units with very low fitness.
Aggression ( aggro ) refers to how aggressive or assertive the unit is and how much initiative the unit is likely to
exercise. Units with high aggro lose less morale and are more likely to fire or attack.
Stubbornness refers to how stubborn the unit can be in defence and to how determined the unit can be to fulfil its
order. When you need to hold a location under attack, then look for a very stubborn unit. However, these units are
not what you want when you want to break contact and withdraw.
Strength Values
These show the current quantity of Personnel, Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs), Non AFVs, Guns and
Bridges. AFVs include tanks, half-tracks, armoured cars and so on, while Guns refers to any mortar, howitzer, gun
or rocket launcher (basically every weapon heavier than rifles, machine guns, and very light mortars).
If you select several units, the Strength Summary will show the total figures for all the selected units. If you select
a HQ, the HQ’s own status will be shown in the left column; the combined strength of the HQ and all its current
subordinates will be shown in the right column.
Firepower Values
Firepower comes in three types, anti-personnel (APerFP), anti-armour (AArmFP) and bombardment (BombFP).
These values are used to determine the number of hits / kills on enemy units. A unit will use its APerFP to fire at
non-armoured units such as infantry. It will use its AArmFP to fire at armoured units such as tank companies. It can
use its BombFP to conduct bombardments against any unit (only units capable of bombarding will have a BombFP,
all other units will have zero for this value).
If a significant proportion of firepower comes from weapons that must

be deployed to fire, then the Deploy to Fire symbol will appear to the
right of the value. This means the unit/force will only have that firepower
value when deployed – it will be significantly less while moving.
See Combat for more information about how the firepower values work in the game.
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Other Values
Armour is a measure of both how many and how well armoured your AFVs are. A single light armoured vehicle
(like the US M3A1 halftrack) is worth very little – about 1.0 per vehicle. Most light-medium armoured vehicles,
like the German or US Armoured Cars, are worth between 3 and 6 per vehicle. Medium tanks like the German
PzKw IVs or the US M4 Shermans are worth around 10 per tank, Heavier mediums like the PzKw V Panther are
worth 15-20, while the most heavily-armoured tanks (like the German PzKw VI Tiger tank) are worth 20-25.
See Combat for more information about how armour values work in the game.
Infantry is a measure of how much infantry personnel you have – ie troops that can engage in front line infantry
work. As a rough rule of thumb most line infantry companies will get one point per person. Armour units will have
none. Recon companies that contained a platoon of infantry will get approximately 33% of their total personnel.
This value is used in allocating forces – eg. when a mixed force of infantry and armour assaults covered terrain like
orchards, a unit with high infantry value will be allocated to the centre or advance guard.
Engineer is a measure of engineering capacity. Field engineer units will get roughly one point for every 12 persons.
Again this is used in allocating forces and in construction tasks to determine how long it will take to complete.
Movement
This is the current speed modifier ( percentage ) that applies to this unit traversing the terrain in its current location.
It is derived from the unit’s movement type and the terrain effect of its current location. As a general rule foot
movement types will have a value of 100% on highways, 67% in clear, 45% in village, 38% in town etc while
Motorised ( mot ) units will move through clear terrain at 33%, village at 24% etc.
But remember motorised units have a higher base or nominal speed. Eg Foot units with a base speed of 6kph will
move across clear terrain at 4kph ( 6 x 67% ) while a mot unit with a base speed of 24kph will move at 8kph ( 24
x 33% ).
To the right of the value is a symbol indicating the movement type – a boot for foot and a wheel for motorised. Note
that a mixed force will show a wheel – ie motorised – as this is the most restrictive mode – ie motorised units are
prohibited from entering more type of terrain than foot.
Terrain
Shows the terrain types the unit is currently occupying. This is blank if you select more than one unit.
Role
This refers to the role the unit is performing within its superior’s formation – ie what subgroup type it is doing.
In general these are divided into guards and fillers. A guard is usually occupied by line units, while support units
usually end up in filler roles. A road column formation will have an advance guard, followed by a main guard, then
the hub ( which is the superior unit ) followed by one or more filler groups, with the rear guard at the end. A force
assaulting in Line will have left, centre and right guards up front, followed by the hub and further behind will be
the fillers.
Fillers come in two types – Support and Line. Support fillers contain only support units. Line fillers will contain at
least one line unit. You only get Line Fillers when there is a surplus of line units to man the guards.
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Retreating and routing guard groups will often trigger reassessments by their superior and will increase the
probability of nearby units also reacting.
Equipment and Supply ( E&S ) Tab
The E&S tab shows a list of the unit’s equipment and

supplies and the current quantities of each. Equipment
is listed in the order AFVs, non-AFVs, weapons and
bridges. If a unit is supposed to have a particular item,
but has lost all of it, the item will be greyed-out. You
can display a picture, description, and other data of
an equipment item by double-clicking on the item in
the E&S display. If the item is a vehicle, then double-
clicking on an entry in its Armaments list will open its
data. Hit the Close button to return to the list.
Supplies come in three varieties – fuel, ammo and

basics. Each type of ammunition is recorded separately.
So you can run out of ammunition for your guns (and
often do) while still having ammo for small arms. Fuel
and basics are handled as consolidated items and are
not broken down into their derivatives (petrol, diesel
and kerosene are all counted as fuel and food, water,
clothing etc are all counted as basics).
Motorised units that run out of fuel cannot move but do not abandon their vehicles. Units that run out of basics will
tire very quickly and as a result lose combat effectiveness. Units that run out of ammo cannot fire their weapons
that use that particular ammo type.
 Units will try and conserve ammo once they get down to around 20% of
their normal requirement, by reducing their rates of fire
Command ( Cmd ) Tab
The Cmdr tab displays the name and rank of the commander of the unit. It also
has a number of indicator bars displaying the commander’s ratings for leadership,
aggression, determination, efficiency and judgement plus two other indicator bars
showing the quality and efficiency of the commander’s staff. Below these are fields
displaying the command capacity and load and the orders delay periods applicable
for the unit and its force. For the more interesting and important officers, some brief
biographical details are also provided
Indicator Bars
Leadership refers to the commander’s ability to inspire his troops to follow him in
battle and to how well he can organise and deploy his forces tactically – i.e.. fight a
battle. A well-led unit is less likely to suffer reductions in morale and cohesion and
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will be quicker to rally from retreat or rout and quicker to reorganise.
Efficiency – refers to how organised and quick the commander is in processing orders. Efficient commanders can
process orders quicker and are quicker to react to enemy actions.
Determination – refers to how motivated the commander is to fulfil his orders. A determined commander is less
likely to abandon a task, more likely to initiate an attack to take the objective or to attempt to blow the bridge he
has been ordered to deny the enemy. A determined commander also reduces the probability of a force losing morale
or surrendering.
Aggro – refers to how aggressive or assertive the commander is and to how much initiative he is likely to exercise.
Aggressive commanders are more likely to initiate attacks, less likely to bypass enemy opposition and reduce the
probability of their unit suffering morale loss.
Note that commanders of units you have directly ordered are restricted in using their initiative. They cannot launch
attacks nor bypass. You must order them.
Judgement –refers to how sound the commander is at making decisions. A commander with good judgement is
more likely to pick the best option, the best assault approach, the best advance route, the best formation, the best
facing. He is more likely to break contact at the correct time when ordered to delay and more likely to determine
the best time to blow a bridge.
Staff Quality – refers to the ability of the HQ staff to turn the commander’s decisions into formal orders and
transmit those to their subordinate units, and to their ability to provide accurate intelligence and situation reports
to the commander. HQs with high staff quality will process orders faster and will cope well with attached units;
HQs with poor staff quality are slow to respond and may have trouble organising their organic subordinates, let
alone any attachments.
Orders Delay Summary

If you are playing with Orders Delay turned off, these values will be irrelevant. With Orders Delay turned on they
become pretty important when you try to synchronise the operations of your units. See Work With Orders Delay
and Orders Delay for more information.
Capacity – this refers to the ability of your unit (especially HQs) to command subordinates. Each additional point
of capacity means the HQ can command one more organic subordinate of the level below the HQ. For example, a
Battalion HQ with a Capacity of four can command four organic subordinates of company size.
Load – this is the current strain on your unit’s staff generated by organic and attached subordinates.
Unit Delay – this is the time it will take for the unit itself to receive and process a new order.
Force Delay – this is the approximate time it will take for the unit and all its subordinates to receive and process
their new orders – in other words how long before the force starts moving as a whole. These values can take some
time to update when you first create a new battlegroup.
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Depot ( Dep ) Tab
For units other than Bases this displays the unit’s

supplying Base/Depot. To go to the Supplying Base:
 Click on it’s icon in the tab view
This will select the Base unit on the Battlemap and display its Depot data in the
Force Data dialog.
For Base units this tab shows a wealth of information on its stocks on hand, transport
and handling capacity, resupply requests, transport columns and drawing units. For
details see Review Depot Data.
History ( Hist ) Tab
The Hist tab shows a brief history for the more

interesting or important units, otherwise it will be
blank.
Event Log ( Log ) Tab
The Log Tab displays a list of entries of major events or changes in status that affect
the unit. These are recorded as they occur, or every 15 minutes of game time for
the more common events. Unlike the scenario message logs, the unit logs are saved
when you save a game.
Combat Effectiveness
Although all aspects of a unit’s condition have an impact on its battle performance, some are more important than
others. For more information about the effects of these values see Combat.
Strength and Losses
Every type of unit has a theoretical full strength, or Establishment ( Estab for short ), which lists the personnel,
equipment and supplies that should be held by the unit. A unit at full strength would have a solid bright green
Info Box when displaying Strength ( F3 ) and it would have full indicator bars on the Gen Tab for Personnel and
Equipment. Units rarely achieve this full strength, even when not in combat, since they will have equipment down
for maintenance and personnel sick or away on leave or courses. Once a unit is in combat, it will usually suffer
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losses that will further reduce its strength.
As units become weaker, their morale will drop and they become less combat-capable. A single company near full
strength may be more effective in battle than two or three companies that are almost used up! Try to keep units that
have low strength out of major combat, and don’t rely on them for anything critical unless you have no choice.
Firepower and Armour
Firepower and armour values are important for a couple of reasons. Firstly, they give a good indication of your
units’ ability to deal out punishment, and to withstand enemy fire; secondly, if you are playing a scenario that
includes Exit Objectives (see Exit Your Units Off the Map and Exit Objectives), the force you exit will be scored
using its firepower and armour values.
Armour is most easily understood as being the number of AFVs in the unit multiplied by the thickness of their
armour. A unit with many weakly-armoured vehicles may have a higher Armour value than one with a few, heavily-
armoured tanks. It is important to keep this in mind since many anti-armour weapons will only be effective against
a certain thickness of armour; AFVs with heavier armour than this will be invulnerable to those weapons. Units
with high Armour values can be very useful in assaulting infantry or support units in open country, since they exert
a shock effect at close range that can reduce infantry morale. Conversely, infantry units will inflict a similar shock
against armour units at short range at night or in close country like towns or woods.
AArmFP is pretty comparable to Armour; it roughly represents the number and armour-thickness of AFVs the
unit could destroy in a minute of fire at close range in perfect conditions. It is a product of the armour-penetrating
capability of the unit’s weapons and their rate of fire. Remember that some weapons (like 20mm anti-aircraft guns)
have a very high rate of fire but a very low armour-penetrating capability. Units equipped with these guns may
have high AArmFP values but will still be unable to damage medium or heavy tanks. Against a unit equipped with
lightly-armoured vehicles, however, these weapons can be devastating.
APerFP represents the ability of your unit to kill infantry at close range. It equates to the number of men the unit
could kill in one minute of fire at 100 metres against a 120-man company, in the open, standing up. In general,
when using your infantry to attack enemy infantry, you should aim for a 3:1 ratio of friendly APerFP to enemy
APerFP.
BombFP represents the power of your units to deluge an unseen area with high-explosives and shrapnel. The
higher the BombFP of your units, the more effective their bombardments will be; not only at killing personnel and
destroying vehicles, but also in suppressing the enemy, increasing their fatigue, and eroding their morale. Note that
BombFP is very effective at suppressing the enemy. Eighty percent of all casualties from WW2 were caused by
artillery fire. While it may often break up an enemy attack and force them to retreat, there is no substitute for close
range direct fire. So to repel the enemy assault you need both indirect artillery fire and direct fire from line units.
Remember to always exercise caution in using these values to form your plan. The values are a summary only, and
you need to consider the types and capability of weapons and vehicles in your units. Some units will have high
firepower values, but are limited by short range; these units will be vulnerable at a distance to an enemy with lower
firepower values but longer range weapons. Likewise, as well as looking at overall AArmFP and Armour values,
consider the thickness of armour on your AFVs and the armour-penetrating capability and range of your anti-tank
weapons.
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Morale, Fatigue, and Cohesion
Because morale measures the will to fight of your units, it is a key value. Units with poor morale are unhappy with
their lot and are more likely to retreat or even rout when fired upon. Morale is lowered as units suffer casualties
and are fired upon. The rate of decrease is greatest for poorly trained and inexperienced troops. Morale level can
increase (albeit slowly) if the unit is pulled out of the line and rested. Units also recover some morale by inflicting
heavy damage on enemy units.
Fatigue is also an important consideration in your planning. Tired units (i.e. those with high Fatigue) move slower,
fire slower and less accurately and are more likely to have their morale and cohesion lowered. Fatigue increases as
units move and to a lesser degree fire. Units moving by foot fatigue faster across rough terrain. They also fatigue
faster than motorised units when moving. Units become fatigued quickly if they are force-marched (by selecting
the Fastest move rate for a task) and when moving at night. Unfit units fatigue faster. Fatigue can be reduced
whenever a unit is stationary. It is reduced quickest if they are ordered to Rest. Managing your units, so that they
do not all become severely fatigued, can create an edge over the enemy that you can use at a critical point. The best
way to do this is to maintain a reserve, which rests.
Cohesion is important because it too has a significant effect on unit activities. Units with poor cohesion are more
likely to stop and Reorg rather than obey their assigned order, at least until they have recovered a modicum of
organisation. Units with low cohesion will also be more vulnerable to enemy fire and are less able to return fire
effectively. Cohesion is lowered as units are fired upon, suffer casualties, force march, change formation and
change facing. The rate of decrease is greatest for poorly trained and inexperienced troops. Cohesion is recovered
when units remain stationary. It is recovered quickest if they are ordered to Reorg.
Rout Status
Displaying Rout Status in the Info Box lets you quickly track the progress of the battle. Where your units are
mostly OK, you are progressing well; if you see a lot of Retreating, or even worse, Routing units, you may need to
take steps to avoid a defeat. See Reactions for more information.
Units behave differently when retreating and routing. Retreating units will attempt to maintain formation and will
keep facing the enemy as they fall back. They will retain some cohesion and combat capability. Routing units will
abandon their formation and turn their backs on the enemy; they become much more vulnerable to enemy fire and
are unable to effectively engage enemy threats. Routing units will move away from the enemy as fast as they can
(because they are fleeing for their lives, they move faster than other units).
Generally, retreated units will recover much faster than routed units and will be more effective once they have
recovered.
Retreating units are less likely to fire at enemy units – routing units even more so. Similarly, when it comes to
selecting targets to fire at, your units will tend to give priority to non-retreating and non-routing enemy units.
If unit is moving in formation, is part of a guard subgroup ( see Formations ), and is forced to retreat or rout, then
the rest of the force will not be able to continue moving until that unit recovers or the commander re-generates his
formation and places the retreating unit in a filler subgroup.
In some cases, where a unit is already located in good cover, it may retreat or rout in place – ie without moving;
in effect the unit is cowering. Apart from moving, the other effects of retreating and routing apply to units doing
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so in place.
Deployment
The deployment status of your units is important because it has a significant effect on their vulnerability and
effectiveness.
An Undeployed unit is moving, with dismounted troops standing up. It is easy to spot from a long distance away
and is very vulnerable to artillery and direct fire. Some crew-served heavy weapons (like artillery guns, mortars, or
heavy machine guns) that have to be set up in order to fire will not be available. The unit will also suffer penalties
in accuracy and rate of fire when firing at the enemy.
When a unit is Taking Cover, its troops will go prone and start to seek cover, and its vehicles will move towards
hull-down positions. It is a little harder to spot than an Undeployed unit and a little less vulnerable to enemy fire.
The unit will also suffer penalties in accuracy and rate of fire when shooting at the enemy and crew-served heavy
weapons will still be unavailable.
When a unit Deploys, it has spread out into battle formation, its soldiers are prone in whatever cover is available;
and vehicles are all hull-down. All crew-served heavy weapons are also set up and able to fire. This improves
the effectiveness of your unit, makes it harder to spot, and protects it from enemy fire. Deployed units suffer no
penalties when firing at the enemy.
Dug-In units have dug slit trenches and vehicle scrapes to improve their cover and concealment.
Entrenched units have roofed over their slit trenches to provide protection from artillery fire and are even better
protected and concealed.
Fortified units are occupying an existing heavy fortification, like a castle or reinforced concrete bunker system.
They are well-protected from artillery and direct fire and are very hard to shift.
Unit and Commander Quality
To find out which are your elite troops, look at Experience, Training, Fitness, Aggro and Stubbornness. These are
static values, so you can do this at the start of a scenario or when reinforcements arrive. However, even elite troops
can rout if their Morale is low and this can happen as a result of combat and casualties.
The quality of your commanders and their staff is also important. Good commanders/staff will react faster to your
orders and will carry them out more competently. Poor commanders/staff will take longer and need more specific
direction, and should not be relied on for critical tasks.
Orders Delay
If you are playing with Orders Delay turned on ( see Set Scenario Options ), then command Capacity, Load,
Unit Delay and especially Force Delay values become very important. These values tell you how well your HQs
are coping with the units they have to command, and how long it will take for your orders to take effect. The At-
Start delay is given in each side’s Breifing.
Orders Delay models the time required for decisions to be turned into orders, and for orders to be turned into
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GAME MANUAL
plans. It is based on the size of the HQ issuing the order (so a brigade HQ takes longer than a battalion HQ to send
an order down the chain). This is modified by the movement type of the sender and the receiver and the distance
between them. Finally, one-third of the duration is modified by the quality, condition and staff load of the receiver,
while two-thirds of the duration is modified by the quality and condition of the effective sender and either the staff
load on either the on-map boss (for orders issued by the human player) or on the sender (for tasks issued by the
AI).
Some scenarios have an Initial orders Delay modifier that magnifies the orders delay sometimes several times
longer than normal. This represents the side being caught completely by surprise and cut off from communications
to the upper HQ (like the Americans were on December 16th in the battle of the bulge.) The effects of this added
delay can be significant - your units may not respond to your commands for several hours. This % multiplier will
be greatest at the beginning of the scenario and get less and less over time until finally only the normal ( 100% )
delay applies. The initial orders display is shown at the top of the side’s briefing.
Don’t worry; you don’t have to work this out for yourself! Not only can you see how long a particular unit will take
to receive an order (it’s shown in the Unit Delay field on the Gen Tab), you can even see an estimate of how long
it will take a particular HQ and all its subordinates to get moving on a new order by looking at the Force Delay
field on the Gen Tab. However, it is quite useful to understand how what you do in the game will affect the orders
delay your units suffer.
Who Sends Orders?

When you issue an order, the game will determine who the effective sender is. This is important because the force
size of the sender (battalion, brigade, and so on) is used to determine the base delay period. The condition and
effectiveness of the sender, in particular the Staff Quality, are also used to modify two-thirds of the base delay.
 The sender is the most immediate organic superior, of at

least two levels up, within Command Range for that force Table 5 - Standard Orders Delay
size Force Size Mot Non-Mot
Duration Duration
If you issue an order to a company, if that company’s brigade HQ is
Army Group 150 200
within 8000 metres then it will act as the sender. If the brigade HQ
is more than 8000 metres away, but the company’s divisional HQ is Army 120 160
within 16 000 metres, then the divisional HQ will act as the sender. Corps 80 110
Division 60 80
These command ranges are only a guide and will vary from unit to
Bde/Regt 40 60
unit for a whole range of factors. For example, if either the sender or
receiver is non-motorised, then the Command Range is reduced by Bn 30 40
one-quarter and the total orders delay is increased by one-third. Company 20 30
Platoon 20 30
Squad/Section 20 30
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Because the base delay increases as the force size of the effective sender goes up:
 Keep your units near their organic superiors, even if you are issuing orders directly to them.
Distance
Table 6 - Standard Command Range
Another factor in Orders Delay is distance.
Force Size Mot Mot Non-mot Non-mot
The further away a unit is from its HQ, the
Eff Range Max Range Eff Range Max Range
longer it will take to receive orders. Distance
has more of an impact if the HQ issuing Army Group 60,000 80,000 45,000 60,000
orders is not motorised (either tracked or Army 37,500 50,000 28,000 37,500
wheeled), because motorised units generally Corps 18,750 25,000 14,000 18,750
have more powerful radios – and more of
Division 12,000 16,000 9,000 12,000
them! Foot and horse-drawn units often have
to rely on runners to get orders through so Bde/Regt 6,000 8,000 4,500 6,000
their subordinates need to keep closer. Bn 3,000 4,000 3,000 3,000
Company 1,500 2,000 1,125 1,500
Distance is always calculated between the
receiver and the effective sender. This is Platoon 750 1,000 550 750
another reason to: Squad/Section 375 500 280 375
 Keep your units near their

organic superiors.
Staff Capacity and Staff Load

Exercising command over another unit requires a certain amount of attention. There are orders to write, reports to
read, and administration to take care of, amongst other things. For this reason there is a limit to how many units any
given HQ can effectively command, before the amount of work involved starts to overwhelm the staff available
to do it. In the game, the Staff Capacity of a HQ (shown by the Capacity value in the Orders Delay Summary)
indicates how many other units can be commanded before the HQ staff become overworked and inefficient. The
Staff Load (shown by the Load field in the Orders Delay Summary) indicates how much work is already being
done by the HQ.
The staff load each unit applies to its HQ differs depending on where it fits in the organic structure:
 If a unit is directly subordinate to the HQ (for example, a company under its organic battalion HQ) it
causes 1 point of load
 If a unit is indirectly subordinate to the HQ (for example, a company under its organic brigade HQ) it is
worth 2 points of load
 If a unit is directly or indirectly subordinate to the HQ’s superior (for example, a company attached to a
battalion HQ from another battalion in the same brigade) it causes 2 points of load
 If the unit is none of the above, it will cause 3 points
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This load is then modified by the size of the HQ and the size of the unit being commanded:
 If the unit is the same size as or larger than the HQ (for example, a company attached to another
company, or an artillery battalion attached to a company) then its cost is doubled
 If the unit is two levels or more smaller than the HQ (for example, a company or platoon, attached
directly to a brigade HQ) then its cost is halved
The load is then modified by the type of the unit:
 If the unit is neither Line (infantry, armour, or assault engineer) nor an HQ, its cost is halved
The final result is than capped between 0.25 and 4.
Once again, you don’t have to work this out for each unit. The Capacity and Load fields will give you a good idea
whether a particular HQ can handle additional attachments, and where possible, you should attach units that are
near-by in the organic structure.
 When you issue an order directly to a unit, the staff load of that unit is always applied to the on-map
boss, so the more units you give direct orders to, the greater the load on your most important HQ
The Staff Capacity and Staff Load of the receiver, the effective sender, and (for orders issued by the player) the
on-map boss, are all major factors in orders delay. Remember that for orders you issue, the staff load placed on the
on-map boss is twice as important as that on the receiver – in fact if your on-map boss is badly overloaded, your
orders can take twice as long to get through! For tasks issued by the AI, the same thing can happen if the sender
is overloaded. If your receiver is overloaded, the order delay may increase by up to one-half; if both receiver and
effective sender or on-map boss are overloaded, your orders could take up to three times as long to be carried
out.
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High or Low?
Because your orders will need to pass down through several HQs if you issue them to a senior unit (like a divisional
HQ or a brigade HQ), it usually takes longer for your units to start moving when you do this. On the other hand,
when you issue orders to lower HQs (like battalions) the response is often quite fast, so there can be some benefit
to giving orders directly to lower HQs. However, when you issue a lot of orders you increase the staff load on the
on-map boss (which can drastically increase the orders delay experienced by all your units), and you make it harder
to coordinate the activities of your units.
Orders Delay Free Period

There may be an orders delay “free period” at the start of a scenario, in which units can process orders without
any delay. The default free period is 60 minutes. However, the scenario designer may set this free period to zero or
several hours for one or both sides in the ScenMaker. This is used in some scenarios to simulate the fact that one
side has gone in with a ready plan of action while the other has been taken by surprise.
All reinforcements are free of orders delay for the first 60 minutes after their arrival. This simulates the issuing of
preliminary orders.
Mixed-Mode Movement
The performance of a unit across different types of terrain is determined by the unit Mobility Type.
Unit Mobility Type
Every unit in the game has a Mobility Type that determines how fast it can move over different types of terrain.
There are two Mobility Types:
 Motorised – this includes all units that can be completely transported in the unit’s own trucks, tracked
vehicles, or on motorcycles
 Non-Motorised – all other units, including foot infantry, horsed cavalry, and horse-drawn units
Many units that have some vehicles (but not enough vehicles to carry all the personnel in the unit) are classed as
Non-Motorised. Each Mobility Type has advantages and disadvantages. Motorised units move faster over most
terrain types than non-motorised ( see Annex E – Terrain Effects Chart ), suffer less fatigue ( see Morale, Fatigue
and Cohesion ), and have larger command ranges and reduced orders delay ( see Orders Delay ). However,
non-motorised units can reach more areas, climb slopes greater than 30°, cross minor rivers, and enter forests
and marshes that are impenetrable to motorised units. Motorised and mechanised infantry units will dismount
when in contact with the enemy. However, they are treated as motorised and restricted accordingly even when
dismounted.
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Force Mobility Type
When a Battlegroup contains both motorised and non-motorised units, it will move using only terrain that both
types can traverse. When motorised and non-motorised units travel in formation, there is often some shuffling of
positions due to the faster movement speed of the motorised units.
You need to be aware of this when issuing orders to your units. Some objectives may be located in areas that
motorised forces cannot reach, so you will need to ensure that only non-motorised units are assigned to secure
these locations.
 If you order a force to move to an area that it cannot reach, the order location will snap to the nearest
reachable location
You will also receive a ( routine ) message warning you that the order location has been adjusted. See Identify
Impassable Terrain.
If you create a temporary battlegroup using both motorised and non-motorised units, and the non-motorised units
are currently located on terrain that is impassable to motorised movement, the battlegroup will designate a point on
the route where the motorised units can join the formation. The non-motorised units will then move in one group
to this location, while the motorised units move there in another group. Once the force is all together, it will move
off in formation.
In cases where a particular unit cannot reach much of the locations along the superior’s route, the AI may decide
that is better for that unit to move independently to the ObjLoc rather than trying to move in formation.
Formation and Movement
When a unit is moving in Road Column formation, it will gain movement bonuses from roads (and for non-
motorised units, tracks as well) on its path. When it is moving in any other formation, it will not receive any
benefit from roads or tracks. Instead, its movement rate will be determined by the characteristics of the terrain
underneath the road or track. Units may automatically change out of road column if threatened and thus slow down
dramatically.
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Objectives, Orders, and Tasks
Tasks are the building block on which all commands are given and plans developed. In essence they are a set of
instructions consisting of a Subject ( who is performing the task ), an action or Task Type ( the type of action to be
performed ) and an objective or Location ( the destination or place on the map where the action is to be performed
– this is often referred to as the objective location or ObjLoc and not to be confused with Objectives as described
below ).
There are also other parameters to a task, such as formation, speed, route etc.
Objectives are those tasks that each side must achieve in a scenario in order to secure victory. In effect, these
are orders given to you, the player, before the scenario starts. They are created in the ScenMaker by the scenario
designer.
Orders are those tasks you issue to your units during a game to have them carry out actions like moving, attacking,
firing or defending.
Unit Tasks are those tasks created by the AI for each and every unit. These are the actual task they perform and
they may differ from your orders. For instance, you may order a unit to Defend at location X, but the unit is
currently at location Y, so it must first Move there. Once there it will then Defend. You don’t need to issue two
orders, just the one Defend order. The AI manages the rest.
Objectives
Objectives are those tasks you have been ordered to complete. Their Battlemap icons are coloured blue on a
white background. Upon selection the background changes to yellow and a yellow perimeter is drawn around the
objective icon, indicating the area that must be secured. For details on how to see a list of your objectives in the
Sidebar refer to Display the Objectives List.
Note that inactive objectives (those finished, yet to start,

or no longer relevant) are not displayed on the map, but
will be in the Objectives (OBJ) dialog. You can show their
icon and perimeter on the map by selecting them from the
Obective list.
Each objective is worth a certain number of Victory Points

or VPs ( see Victory ) that indicates how much achieving
it will contribute to your success. The maximum VPs
available for each objective is shown in the Obj Tab, next
to the name of each objective. Small vertical progress
bars are also shown next to each objective, and as VPs are
attained, these will fill up.
Each objective type has slightly different achievement

conditions; as listed below.
Objectives have Start and End times associated with them. When you select an objective in the Obj Tab, the From
field indicates the objective start time and the To field indicates its end time.
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Some Objectives may cause

the Game to automatically
end once they are completed.
These will have the letters
“AE” inserted before their
VP amount in the Objective
List. The game ends no
matter what the current VP
total is, so be wary about
exiting all your forces only
to discover that you needed
to also secure an on-map
objective to secure that
decisive victory.
Other objectives are linked meaning that you only have to achieve one of these to
secure the assigned points. In other words you have a choice of alternatives. In some
cases though it may be wise to secure more than one of the choices, just in case.
Note that objectives are not necessarily symetrical. Just because one side has to secure a location doesn’t mean
the enemy side has to. Eash side has its own list of objectives with their own weigting of priority and VPs. One
of the things to consider in conducting your at-start appreciation is discern the enemy’s objectives. The briefing
will usually give you a pretty good idea. But good commanders watch the flow of battleto see which locations
the enemy is heading for. Remember that you must not only maximise your VPs you must minimise the enemy’s
VPs.
Another thing to do in your at-start appreciation is to see if there is any pattern in which objectives are active and
for how long. In a number of scenarios the designer has set the objectives such that they are grouped with one
group being required for a certain period or “phase” while others for a subsequent period or phase. Phases can help
you organise time and the allocation of resources. Plan ahead to ensure that you secure vital objectives on time to
maximise your VPs.
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Completion and Occupation
There are two ways to get VP for achieving an

objective. Some objectives will require you only
to achieve them by the time they end; the points
you get for this are called Completion VPs and
the number available for the selected objective
is shown in the Completion field on the Obj
dialog. For example, if an objective is worth 10
Completion VPs and ends at D2, 12:00, then you
must be in control of that objective at that time to
get the points.
Other objectives will require you to gain and

maintain control of them from the start to the end
time to get the maximum points available. This
kind of points are called Occupation VPs and you will get a proportion of them for each minute you control the
objective between its start and end times. For example, if an objective is worth 10 Occupation VPs, starts at D1,
12:00, and ends at D2, 12:00, you need to control the objective continuously for that whole time to get the full
10 points. If you control the objective from D2, 00:00 until it ends, then you would get 5 points (since you’ve
controlled it for half the required time).
Secure Objectives
To achieve a Secure objective, you need to fulfil all the following conditions:
 Have at least one unit within the objective perimeter
 Have a 10 : 1 superiority in Combat Power over the enemy within the objective perimeter
Routing units of either side do not count for the purpose of achieving a Secure objective.
Defend Objectives
Defend objectives are very simple – to achieve a Defend objective:
 Have at least one unit within the objective perimeter
There are no Defend objectives in the official scenarios.
Secure Crossing Objectives
To achieve a Secure Crossing objective, you need to:
 Prevent the closest crossing being blown
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GAME MANUAL
 Secure the objective perimeter (as for a Secure objective)
You don’t need to unprime a crossing to secure it (but it’s a good idea anyway!). If the enemy demolishes the
bridge then you need to rebuild it to the original level. Until that is done you will not get any points for occupation
or completion.
Construct Bridge Objectives
To achieve a Construct Bridge objective:
 Build a bridge on the closest crossing point
 Secure the objective perimeter (as for a Secure objective)
Once you have built the bridge, the objective type will revert to Secure Crossing.
In some cases you may have a Secure Crossing objective where the bridge starts off demolished. In this case, you
will need to rebuild the crossing before getting any victory points. The objective icon in this case will still appear
as the normal Secure Crossing icon, but you will notice that when you secure the area you will not achieve the
objective.
Deny Crossing Objectives
You will have a Deny Crossing objective where your role is to prevent the enemy using a particular bridge. To
achieve a Deny Crossing objective, either:
 Secure the objective perimeter (as for a Secure task) while the crossing is still intact, or
 Blow the crossing and prevent the enemy constructing a new one
Note that you cannot demolish a bridge directly. You need to prime it and wait for the enemy to approach and pray
your nearest unit is successful at blowing it.
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Exit Objectives
You get points for Exit objectives

by ordering your units to exit at
the objective perimeter, where
they will be removed from the
map. As each unit of the force
enters the objective radius, it
will disappear and you will get
a message telling you it has
exited. Once exited those units
are gone and you can’t get them
back.
The force you have exited will be

compared to the required force
to calculate your point score.
The score is determined by three
values: APerFP, Armour, and
BombFP ( see Firepower and Armour ). If you meet or exceed the objective requirement in each of these areas,
you get the full value of any completion points for that objective.
Exit objectives do not have occupation VPs.
 Once you have exited the required amount of units, you cannot get any more points from an Exit
objective
You can exit a larger force than is required at an exit objective. You won’t get any credit for this, however, and you
can’t make up for a shortfall in one value by exiting extra in another (for example, you can’t make up for missing
APerFP by exiting extra Armour or BombFP).
You can check the force requirements for each exit objective:
 Select the objective in the Obj Tab on the Sidebar
The force requirements will be listed under the objective list.
In the official scenarios, there will also be an item in the Side Briefing for every side that has an exit objective
telling you roughly what kind of force you need to get off (for example, “exit one battalion of tanks and two
battalions of motorised infantry”).
Auto-End - If an Exit objective has the “AE” letters appearing in the list on the Obj Tab this means that the
game will automatically end once the objective has been completed – ie enough units have exited to satisfy the
requirements. It will end regardless of whether you have achieved other objectives or not.
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Destroy the Enemy
The Destroy the Enemy objective does not appear on the map. For this objective, you receive VPs for destroying
enemy personnel, armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) and artillery (guns). The amount you receive for each man,
vehicle or gun destroyed depends on the starting enemy strength and on the scenario; in some scenarios you will
have to nearly wipe out the enemy force to get the full Destroy the Enemy VPs, but in others you can do so by
eliminating even a small proportion of the enemy. The proportion of the enemy required to achieve the VPs is
specified as “% of Kills”.
If the Destroy the Enemy objective has 0 VPs, then no VPs will be awarded for destroying enemy units. In this
case, the territorial objectives are everything. Remember that the enemy may well receive VPs for damaging and
destroying your units – so keep your own casualties to a minimum.
Orders
Orders are instructions you assign to your units. Issuing an order to a single unit places that unit under your direct
command. Where you issue one order to multiple units, you place the senior unit under your direct command and
it will control the others. Units under your direct command are indicated by the Command Bar on their unit icon
being coloured white.
If you have Orders Delay turned on, it will take some time for your orders to reach units and be carried out.
When you issue an order, if the unit info filter on the Display Toolbar is set to show Tasks ( ie F1), the Info Box
background will go pink until the unit has received and processed the order. See Info Box, Work with Orders
Delay, and Orders Delay for more information.
You can issue different types of orders and you can modify a number of settings that control the way your units
will carry out those orders. See Command Your Units. For every order, you will set an Order Location ( often
referred to as the objective location or ObjLoc ) which is the map location at which your units will carry out the
order (whether this means moving there, attacking that location, or firing a bombardment onto that location). For
most orders you may also set Waypoints, which are points through which your units will move as they head to the
order location. In fact, the Order Location or ObjLoc is the last waypoint in the order’s list of waypoints.
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When you select a unit to which you have
issued an order, the order and any waypoints
will be displayed on the Battlemap with
black and white order and waypoint icons
( see Issue Orders ). The icon changes
colour to black on yellow when selected.
Once an order has been processed a route
line will be drawn between the unit and
each of the waypoints. If it is still to
finish processing the order a straight line
will be drawn between the unit and the
waypoints.
Selecting an order or waypoint icon

displays the order settings and info in the
Sidebar, where you can change them.
These settings may vary slightly depending on the type of order.
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GAME MANUAL
Unit Tasks
Unit Tasks are those instructions that units generate for themselves and their subordinates to carry out the orders
they have been given. For instance, a unit ordered to Defend a location some distance away, will generate a Move
task so that it can get to the order location and then it will generate a Defend task at the order location.
Tasks are displayed using the same icons as orders and waypoints, but these are distinguishable by their black on
grey colour. If you select a task icon, information for that task (including start and end times and various settings
like formation, speed, and routes) will be displayed in the Sidebar.
 You cannot change the settings for unit tasks; you can only edit the orders that caused the tasks to be
generated
To select a unit task see Select a Unit Task.
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Understanding Game Processes
Planning
Planning lies at the heart of the CO: BFTB’s artificial intelligence (AI) system. The basic premise is that you,
the player, should be able to give orders to subordinate forces, knowing that they will develop and execute a
reasonable plan of action. The next premise is that your subordinates in turn will send orders down the line, and at
each level the commander will develop and execute a reasonable plan.
You should not rely on your computer-controlled commanders to come up with the perfect plan. They may surprise
you at times and at times they may get it wrong – just like real commanders!
The third premise is that individual units should be relied on to react in a credible manner to enemy contact and
actions – to take cover when fired upon, and to fire and move when in contact.
The fourth premise is that your units should organise their own logistics, requesting supplies as needed and (for
bases) allocating supplies and truck space in accordance with reasonable priorities and as far as enemy action
allows.
With these premises in place you can focus on what a good commander should be doing – determine objective
priorities, assessing the situation, enemy intentions and likely reactions, determining the best approach and method,
developing a plan with detailed instructions for one or two levels down, and reacting to enemy developments
which impact on your plan. You should also keep in mind the need for secure supply lines and the overall logistic
state of your troops – without needing to count bullets and beans!
Getting Orders and Issuing Tasks
So how does the AI do all that? First off, let’s look at the procedure for giving and receiving orders. When you
give orders to a unit, the unit will process those orders. This involves determining if these contain new tasks or
modifications to existing ones, determining if it is still feasible to achieve the task and determining if a new plan
needs to be developed.
A force may abandon an order if it physically cannot be achieved – the bridge is blown, it can’t find a valid
route to the order location, or there is insufficient time remaining in the scenario. In such a case, the subordinate
commander will send you a message advising that he has abandoned your order. He will then hold position and
await new orders.
Where a completely new plan needs to be developed the unit commander does so. Otherwise, the modifications to
the existing plan (for example, an adjustment to timings) are made.
In either case, the commander then determines if any subordinates need to be issued tasks to carry out the order. If
so, he then sends those tasks to his direct subordinates – i.e. those on the next level down. For example, a brigade
commander would send tasks to his battalion commanders and to any other support troops under direct command,
such as an artillery battery.
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Depending on your settings, there may be a delay built in before the subordinates receive their orders ( see Orders
Delay ). In the meantime, the subordinates will keep on carrying out their current tasks, until the new ones arrive.
They in turn process the new tasks and the cycle repeats.
Developing the Plan
Developing a plan, is fairly straight forward. The factors are noted, the available options determined, the best
option chosen, resources allocated, timings worked out etc. However, the exact method varies according to the task
type and the particular circumstances.
Most orders are fairly simple, involving just one or two tasks. If you order a force to Move to a location, it will
usually create one Move task for the force to get there, and on arrival, it will create Defend tasks to secure the
immediate area. If the force is widely separated and cannot readily move as one group, it may create multiple Move
tasks.
Where the order is for a static task – like Defend – and the force is not already at the order location, a preliminary
Move task will be performed. Upon arrival, the force will then perform the static task. Attacks and Probes are more
complex, involving multiple concurrent and sequential tasks ( Advance to FUP, FUP Reorg, Assault, Final Reorg,
Defend for the Reserve, and so on ). For details see Seize an Objective.
Routes
One of the more complex routines in developing plans is the determination of the best route. CO: BFTB uses a
number of route-finding algorithms corresponding to the different route types that you can select when giving your
order ( see Change Formation Type ).
The Shortest path is a direct line from start to end, unless this path traverses blocking terrain. Where the blocking
terrain is a waterway it will take a direct line to the closest crossing and from there to the destination. Where it
is some other terrain like forest, which is impassable to motorised units, it will take a direct line to the blocking
terrain and then skirt around it.
The Quickest path is the one that will take the least amount of time, ignoring any effects for enemy units or
firepower influence.
The Avoidance path is the default method and is the route that will be the quickest after factoring in enemy units
and firepower influence.
The Covered path is a line that will be the quickest while sticking, where possible, to covered terrain (such as
woods or urban areas), but ignoring any effects for enemy units or firepower influence.
The Safest path is the one that will be the quickest while sticking, where possible, to covered terrain (such as
woods or urban areas), and avoiding enemy units and firepower influence.
Note that the intelligence you have on enemy units and firepower influence is updated periodically (each minute )
according to what your units can see. You cannot avoid an unseen enemy (see Intelligence).
Note that route finding is one of the major means by which the AI can be “smart”. Often they are the means to
determine the optimum course of action. When developing an attack plan for instance there are many routes
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calculated. However, calculating routes is CPU intensive and can take a long time. Occasionally the game may
pause during planning while extremely long routes are generated. This is perfectly normal - don’t panick.
Formations
The formation adopted by a force can have a major impact on its performance and the achievement of its task or
orders. Formation determines where subunits will be deployed and hence what ground they will cover, what enemy
units they will detect and be able to fire upon. It also determines how visible and vulnerable they will be.
The usual default formation type is Unspecified, which means that the commander will determine which is the
best type when he develops his plan or reassesses. In doing so, the commander will factor in the need for speed,
security, frontage and firepower with the nature of the terrain and known enemy threats. Each type of order or task,
and each formation type, has its own bias toward speed, security, frontage and firepower.
A formation with a wide frontage (line, arrowhead, or echelon left and right) can be used to sweep an area and / or
to provide maximum firepower to the front, but usually does so at the expense of speed and control.
Road Column is the default for Move tasks. Once enemy contact has been made, a more balanced formation type
like Arrowhead may be chosen.
Line is the default for Assault tasks. But if there are significant enemy forces to the left or right, Echelon Left /
Right may be chosen to provide greater security to the threatened flank. If attacking on a narrow front, or when
mixed forces are attacking into covered terrain, Successive Lines may be chosen to provide maximum depth and
protection to the assault.
Vee is the default for Defend and most static tasks. All Round Defence may be chosen when a force is confronted
with enemy threats from multiple directions. In-Situ is the default for Rest and Reorg and is used when a force is
already well deployed (dug-in or better).
For details see the Annex B – Formation Effects.
After determining the type of formation, the commander will then allocate his subunits to each of the formation
subgroups. Subgroups come in four varieties: Hubs, Guards, Line Fillers, and Support Fillers.
The commanding unit will in most cases become the Hub subgroup. The other subgroups take their positions from
the Hub.
For most formations there are three Guard subgroups. In Road Column there will be an Advance Guard, a Main
Guard, and a Rear Guard, while most other formation types have Left, Centre and Right Guards. The Guards are
the parts of a formation that are intended to do the bulk of the fighting and are positioned to that end.
Only HQ, line and line-support units can be allocated to Guard subgroups. If there are insufficient units to populate
all three Guards, then the number of Guards will be reduced. If there are excess line and line support units, these
will form Line Filler subgroups (positioned between the Guards), while support-types units will form Support
Filler subgroups, located behind the Guards and (hopefully) out of direct contact with the enemy.
Certain Guard subgroups will have particular priorities for force allocation. Recce units are favoured for the
Advance Guard for Road Column formation, while armoured and infantry units are favoured for the Centre Guard
of Line formation.
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Resource allocation
In allocating units to tasks and formation groups, the AI will take into account unit capabilities, type, combat
class, strength, proximity, firepower and effectiveness. It will avoid allocating non-line units to assault tasks and to
formation guard groups (though it may assign line-support units). It will not allocate units to a task if they do not
have the capability to carry out the task.
In general, it will try and allocate the best unit to the highest priority task / group. The best unit for one task
will not necessarily be the same as for another task. For instance, the best unit for an assault may be a fresh line
infantry company with good anti-personnel firepower, while for a bombard task it may be an artillery unit with
high bombardment firepower, regardless of fatigue.
When a replan is done, a different force might be allocated to a particular task or formation subgroup. This is why,
from time to time, you may see units reshuffling from the rear guard to the advance guard as tired or depleted units
are rotated back to have a rest and a stronger or fresher unit moves up to take the lead.
Time and space
When you issue an order to a force, it will normally run from the current game time to the end of the scenario. Fire
and Bombard orders are an exception and by default run for just 10 minutes. However, when your subordinates
develop their plan they will estimate the duration required and set their tasks to run for a specific period. During
reassessments, they may determine that they need more or less time, in which case they will either advance or set
back the timings of their tasks as required.
For instance an attacking force that reaches its FUP early will often “crib” or bring the timings forward so that it
starts the Reorg and subsequent Assault as soon as possible. Similarly, if the allotted time for the Assault looks like
running out it will “slip” or set back the end time so as to provide more time to achieve the objective.
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Reassessment
Periodically throughout the game commanders will reassess their plan, taking into account changes such as enemy
threats, blown bridges, tired units and so on.
Table 11 – Standard Reassessment Times
The period between reassessments varies. The main factor is force
Unit Size Reassessment Time ( hours )
size – a Division may only reassess twice a day, while a company
Army 24
may do so every 2 hours.
Corps 24
Commander efficiency and judgement also affect the duration Division 12
between reassessments. Motorised units tend to reassess more
Brigade 6
often. Moreover:
Battalion 4
Company 2
 a reassessment may be brought forward if an
unexpected enemy threat develops or a subordinate
reacts.
As a result of the reassessment, the commander may modify his existing plan, develop a new one or abandon it. For
instance he may decide to bypass enemy ahead by regenerating his route. If he is behind schedule, he may order
his forces to force-march. If he was ordered to delay, he may decide to withdraw from his current blocking position
because the enemy has outflanked his force. If the bridge is blown, he may abandon his Deny Crossing task.
 Forces under your command will not launch Attacks or Probes on their own initiative; you will have to
order them to do so
Forces under your command will not call off an Attack unless they break (retreat or rout) or you order them to.
They may reassess that the attack is not going well; in this case they may decide to conduct a full replan, including
withdrawing to the FUP and starting the whole assault again. However, a force ordered to Probe may Bunker
Down – Defend nearby – if it decides during a reassessment that it is seriously threatened.
Reactions
As your units carry out your orders they will at some point come into contact with the enemy. At this point, they
will start to react – sometimes in ways you may not want! As they encounter enemy units they become more
cautious. They may halt temporarily before pressing on. They may fire at the enemy and call in artillery support,
if available.
After suffering casualties their morale may drop, they might decide that discretion is the better part of valour, and
retreat a short distance. In doing so, they will try and retreat to the safest nearby covered terrain. There they will
recover before continuing. If a unit is in good defensive terrain, such as a town, and to retreat would force it to
move out into the open where the enemy firepower is strong, it may instead retreat in place. In which case it will
stay put and its rout status will go straight to Retreat Recovery. If things get really bad, they may rout in panic and
head for the hills or the woods or the town or any safe place a long way away from the enemy. After a much longer
period they will rally and recover. See Rout Status for more information about these reactions.
If a unit cannot continue with its order, it may bunker down. This can happen when a Probe encounters stiff
opposition, when a bridge gets blown, or when a force cannot reach its order location. In these cases, the force will
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temporarily Defend in a safe nearby location. When this occurs, the words “bunkering down” will appear in the
left text box under the unit’s name in the Side Bar.
To review how a unit has reacted:
 Select the unit
 Select the Log Tab.
Intelligence
One of the first things you will note when you play CO: BFTB is that you do not
have perfect knowledge of your enemy’s dispositions and movements - far from it!
Each minute of the game, all units check to see if they can spot enemy units. If so,
and the quality of their sighting is sufficiently high enough, they may update the intel database of enemy units for
the side. This is then reflected in the enemy unit icons and the info displayed in the Side Bar when you select an
enemy unit icon.
It is important to remember that:
 the information provided in the intel reports are ONLY ESTIMATES.
The accuracy of the estimate depends on the age and reliability of the report – see Assessing a Sighting.
Spotting and LOS
Before an intel report can be generated, one of your units has to first spot or see the enemy unit. This requires a
line of sight (LOS). A LOS is a straight line, traced from the forward edge of the spotter to the forward edge of the
enemy unit. A LOS is blocked if it traverses solid ground or terrain features such as dykes or embankments. So if
you want to maximise your chances of spotting the enemy, deploy your units on top of high ground.
The probability of detection is reduced as the LOS traverses covered terrain – vegetation, urban, factories, and so
on. Dense cover (like woods and cities) will quickly reduce visibility to the point where the LOS is blocked – you
may see an enemy unit at the edge of a wood, but you are unlikely to see one a few hundred metres within.
The probability of detecting the enemy is also reduced if his unit is deployed or better, thus making the best of
the available cover. On the other hand, it is increased if the unit is moving and even more so if it is firing ( see
Deployment ).
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The condition of the spotting unit also affects the probability of detection. It is reduced if your spotting unit is
suppressed, routing, moving or resting and also if it has poor effectiveness (cohesion, freshness, morale). See
Combat Effectiveness for more information on these factors.
Bad weather and darkness will also reduce the probability of detection ( see Check the Weather ).
Spotting is therefore not necessarily reciprocal. For instance, a fresh, well-organised unit with good morale that is
deployed in a village on a hill may readily spot a tired enemy unit advancing a 1000m away in the valley below,
while itself remaining undetected.
See Assess Line of Sight (LOS), Check for Enemy Threats, and Night, Weather and Visibility for more
information.
Assessing a Sighting
Sightings of enemy units are rated by Age and

Reliability. Age is given as either Current
(sighted within the last five minutes), Recent
(sighted within the last hour), or as the number
of hours since the enemy unit was last sighted.
Reliability is displayed as either Excellent,
Good, Poor or Vague.
Some of the things which may be inaccurate

about an unreliable or outdated intel report are:
 The location
 The type of unit (a mechanised
infantry unit may be reported as a
tank unit)
 The size of unit (a platoon may be

misreported as a company)
 The strength of the unit and its equipment

 The state of the unit (deployment status, rout status, current activity, fatigue, morale and so on)
Age
If no update on a sighting has been received for a while, the report on that enemy unit will become stale and
eventually will be discarded as worthless. When the report becomes stale its icon becomes partially “greyed out”.
When it is discarded, its icon is removed from the Battlemap.
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The amount of time it takes for a report to go

stale depends on the quality of the sighting and
what action the enemy unit was reported to be
doing.
Reports on moving enemy units age quickly and

may go stale after only an hour and be removed
after around two hours. Reports on defending
enemy units may remain active for many hours.
You can filter out old reports – see Intel Filter .
Reliability
Spotting an enemy unit is one thing, assessing

what type of unit it is, how strong and effective
it is and what it is doing is yet another.
The amount of details you get about a spotted enemy unit depends on the quality of the sighting, the proximity of
friendly units and the judgement of commanders. Spotting an enemy unit deployed in woods from a distance of
2000m is likely to provide you with the location, the approximate force type and a poor estimate of its strength.
After advancing towards the enemy unit and receiving fire from it, your intel on the enemy may be updated to
provide an exact force type and a much better estimate of its strength.
During the final assault onto the enemy, as your units capture enemy soldiers, investigate bodies etc, the intel level
will be enhanced to the point where you may know the specific identity of the unit, along with a very good estimate
of its strength and effectiveness.
The amount of details you may know about enemy units at the start of a game depends on what the scenario
developer has set. Sometimes you may have no knowledge whatsoever. Other times you may have pretty good
intelligence.
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Supply
Ammunition
When ammo levels get low a unit will ration its expenditure and reduce both its rate of fire and the probability that
it will engage long-range targets.
If a unit runs out of ammo of a particular type, then it cannot fire those weapons that use that type. It can still fire
other weapons that do have ammo remaining. It is not uncommon for mortar, artillery and rocket units to run out
of HE ammo for their guns. These units carried only a very limited amount.
You can conserve ammunition by setting the Rate of Fire to “Slow” when you order your units. Remember, that
gun type units ordered to defend may be called upon to provide on-call-support. To prohibit this, you will need to
order your artillery units directly to Rest instead of Defend. In this way they stay under your direct command and
will not be called upon to provide on-call-support.
Fuel
If a motorised unit runs out of fuel, then it cannot move – no gas, no go!
Basics
Units that run out of basics, fatigue quickly and recover freshness slowly. Their morale drops and overall
effectiveness is reduced, thus reducing their combat capabilities and making them more likely to run away or
surrender.
Resupply
Resupply is modeled on a push-pull system.
The Push Side ( supply )
Supplies are pushed onto the map in accordance with the resupply schedule set by the scenario designer in the
scenario editor application ( ScenMaker ). To review the supply arrival schedule within the Game see Review
Supply Arrival Schedule.
They enter via Supply Entry Points ( SEPs ). If these are road SEPs then they are transported directly to the
on-map Bases that draw directly on the SEP. The transport capacity for this comes from off-map ( it is assumed
that the higher echelon Bases off-map provide this ). If the SEP is an airfield or airdrop SEP, then the supplies are
offloaded at the SEP and remain their in a Dump until transported using the transport capacity of the drawing on-
map Bases.
All supplies arriving from off-map do so in bulk – ie they are measured in kilos/litres of ammo, fuel and basics.
Fuel and Basics remain in litres and kilos throughout the resupply system, even at the unit level. However, once
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ammo supplies are delivered to a unit it is converted into rounds of a particular type – eg 2000 kilos of ammo may
end up equaling 200 rounds of 81mm HE for mortars plus 5000 rounds of 7.92 ball for rifles and machine guns. It
is assumed that the logistic staff manage this minutiae.
Supplies are delivered to the top echelon of on-map Bases and accumulate there until resupply is requested from
their drawing units and subordinate Bases.
Bases, Depots and Dumps
Each Base has an integral Depot that manages the resupply requests, transport columns and stockpiling of supplies
at its integrated supply Dump. A Base can stockpile an unlimited amount of supplies at its Dump. However, it
has a limited capacity to move these. If forced to retreat it will lose half its current stocks automatically plus any
excess it cannot transport. So:
 forcing an enemy’s Base to retreat is good while having your own Base retreat is bad.
To review the current data for a Depot see Review Depot Data.
The Pull Side ( demand )
Each unit manages its own supplies. These are expended as and when required. Basics are consumed every minute
regardless of activity. Fuel is consumed each time a unit moves. Ammo is consumed each time it fires – see Review
Unit Supplies.
Resupply is affected by requesting it from the unit’s Supplying Base – see Determine Supplying Base. This is
done routinely at least once per day during the Resupply Determination Event. This occurs twice per day at
06:00 and 18:00. However, the scenario designer may specify that a side is only to have one of these per day at
18:00. This reflects the case where a side without air superiority chooses to limit the losses from interdiction and
resupply only at night.
During the Resupply Determination Event all units submit their routine resupply request to their Supplying Base.
Its Depot then prioritizes these and starts processing them one at a time. A maximum of one request is processed
per minute of game time. The delay between processing can be longer than a minute. This way the dispatch of
supplies is spread out throughout the day.
In processing the request the Depot will assess a number of factors including the amount of supplies requested,
current stocks available, any rationing in force, available transport and handling capacities, and whether a valid
supply route can be traced. If it cannot fulfill the request at that time it will either reject or suspend it. A suspended
request stays in the queue and may get processed later.
If accepted, a transport column is raised, personnel ( drives/loaders) and vehicles assigned to it along with the
amount of supplies it is providing ( these may be less than that requested ). A supply route is determined and a
Supply Transport Event scheduled.
To reduce the processor load, the transport column is not managed like a regular unit. So it does not move along
the route each minute. Rather, when its scheduled Supply Transport Event occurs it reviews the situation at that
time and determines whether or not it can get through to the unit. If not, it will abandon and try to return to the
Base. If it can get through, it determines any losses due to enemy threats to the route and deducts these from the
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assigned personnel, transport and supplies. It then delivers the supplies to the unit ( converting ammo into actual
rounds as appropriate ).
At this time you will receive a message on screen ( or in the Message Log dialog if you have that open ) informing
you of the delivery. This will be a routine message if all goes well. However, if it suffers losses it will be upgraded
to Urgent and if it’s abandoned altogether it will be Flash.
It then determines if it can

return safely to the Base ( ie
there is a safe valid route ). If
so, it schedules another event
at which time its personnel,
transport and any undelivered
supplies will be absorbed back
into the Depot. If not, it will
either wait around, provided
no enemy units are about, or
be lost. If it waits around, it
will schedule another event
at which time it will again
assess if it can return.
In addition to the routine

requests, a unit can also
place an emergency request
if its current supply levels
fall below a certain threshold.
This is set at 50% of its
usual standard requirements
for ammo and fuel and 33%
for Basics. Emergency
Requests are given priority
over routine ones by the
Depot processing them. So if
a unit runs out of ammo in the
middle of the day, it will put
in an emergency request and hopefully receive new ammo as soon as possible.
Rationing
If there is insufficient supplies to meet all current requirements or there is insufficient handling capacity ( ie the
ability to load the supplies on the trucks ) then a Depot may ration or limit the amounts it dispatches to its drawing
units. When this occurs each request will only receive a proportion of its requirements. Emergency requests will
get a greater proportion than routine requests.
To check how much supplies your units have, what their supply and supply line status is and how best to get them
back in supply see Resupply Your Units.
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Movement
When a force receives a Move task, it will determine the best route to the next specified waypoint or the order
location – see Routes. It will also determine the best formation, frontage and depth, and assign its subordinates to
the formation subgroups ( see Formations ) and will normally assign itself to the formation hub.
Formation Movement
The subgroups will use the hub’s location as a reference to determine where they should be at any point in time.
The subgroups in fact are assigned their own destinations, which is offset from the hub’s destination according to
the type of formation, the size of the force and the terrain.
The hub and the guard subgroups must stay in formation. They will stop moving if the others are not in their correct
positions. There is a small margin allowed so at times you may see the hub close up a little when the advance guard
halts due to enemy ahead.
Single-Unit Movement
Each minute before a unit moves, it checks to see if it should react to enemy threats instead. As a result it may take
cover and defend, fire, or even retreat ( see Reactions ). Otherwise it will continue to move along its route.
The distance a unit moves in a given minute is dependent on its speed. This is determined by whether the unit is
moving by foot or vehicle (and if by vehicle, then on the speed of the vehicle). It is then modified by terrain, the
unit’s fatigue level and the visibility effects due to time of day and weather.
As the unit moves, its fatigue increases, its vehicles consume fuel, its facing is adjusted to point in the direction
of movement and its cohesion may be adjusted according to the formation type it is in. Each formation type has a
cohesion level. When a unit starts moving its cohesion level gravitates towards the level of its formation type. Road
column has the highest cohesion level for moving. Arrowhead is the next best. Echelon and Vee are mid-to-poor,
while Line is the worst. Annex B – Formation Effects lists the effect of different formations on cohesion.
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Combat
The combat routines are very complex. The following is only an outline of what goes on.
Direct Fire
Direct fire is conducted by first determining which of the firing unit’s weapons is going to fire and how many
rounds they are each going to fire. This depends on the target type (no use firing rifles against tanks), range to
target, the task’s rate of fire, the weapon’s rate of fire, the firing unit’s facing, the availability of crew to man the
weapons, ammo to supply them and the effectiveness of the troops who will fire them.
Then each eligible target from the target unit is determined – personnel for anti-personnel fire and AFVs for anti-
armour fire. Anti-personnel fire is resolved in a separate process to anti-armour fire. So a unit consisting solely
of AFVs will only be affected by anti-armour fire and a unit without any AFVs will only be subjected to anti-
personnel fire. A unit with both, such as a German mechanised infantry unit, will undergo both types of fire.
Anti-Personnel Fire
Anti-personnel fire is resolved for each weapon type fired, by first determining the hit probability and then the
number of personnel casualties or kills.
Factors affecting the hit probability include weapon accuracy given the range to target, the firing unit posture and
effectiveness ( see Combat Effectiveness ), crew available, rounds available, visibility, terrain, target density,
posture and facing. There are also grenade bonuses if the target is very close, and height modifiers (a bonus if firer
is higher than target or a penalty if vice versa).
The number of kills is equal to the product of the rounds fired times the hit probability times any burst effects for
larger calibre weapons.
Once the number of kills has been determined, personnel casualties are deducted and a corresponding amount
of losses in equipment and supplies taken from the unit on a random basis. Then the effects of suppression and
reductions in effectiveness (cohesion, fatigue and morale) are determined and applied to the target unit. The firing
unit may also have its morale increased if it inflicts heavy losses. The firing unit also expends ammo supplies.
Anti-Armour Fire
Because the probability of a hit and a kill are so dependent on the relation between the effectiveness of the firing
weapon and the characteristics of the target AFV, anti-armour fire is processed by matching individual weapons
against individual AFVs and then resolving each round fired.
Most of the factors mentioned in anti-personnel fire are used to determine the hit probability, but the size of the
target is also factored in, so that larger AFVs are easier to hit (but not necessarily to kill).
For each round that hits the target, the probability of penetration is assessed. The main factors here are the weapon’s
penetration for the engagement range vis-à-vis the thickness and slope of the target AFV’s armour. Generally when
a round penetrates, the target AFV will be destroyed.
If destroyed, the AFV is removed from the target unit and a proportion of its crew deducted from the target unit’s
personnel. Again, the target unit may have its suppression level increased and suffer reductions in its effectiveness.
As for anti-personnel fire, ammo is expended for the firing unit, and its morale may be increased if it has inflicted
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substantial casualties.
Area Fire
Area fire differs from direct fire by virtue of its scope. It includes bombardments (indirect fire) and airstrikes, both
of which involve shells, bombs or rockets bursting, causing blast effect and spraying shrapnel over an area some
distance from the point of impact. A single round can therefore hit more than one target. Area fire is therefore
processed somewhat differently from direct fire.
Bombardment
To conduct area fire a unit must have the bombard capability specified in its Estab. Usually this is given to those
units with mortar, artillery or rocket tubes that normally fire in the indirect role. Certain units that have area fire
weapons but which were primarily used in the direct fire role will not have a bombard capability – eg some anti-
tank units.
The process of bombardment involves first determining which of the firing unit’s weapons are going to fire and how
many rounds they will each fire. This depends on the task’s rate of fire, the weapon’s rate of fire, the availability of
crew to man the weapons, ammo to supply them and the effectiveness of the troops who will fire them.
Bombardment Zone
For each type of firing weapon, the Bombardment Zone (BZ) – the area affected by the bursts – is determined.
This depends on the number of tubes firing and the calibre and type of shell; the larger the calibre, the bigger the
BZ. When you order an artillery unit to Bombard, the yellow order perimeter indicates roughly how big the BZ
will be.
The units that are under the BZ are then identified, and the intersection area of their occupied areas and the BZ is
calculated to produce the targets. Targets are divided into AFVs and personnel.
Registration
Before an artillery unit can bombard with all its guns, it must first register the target. This involves one gun firing
a series of single rounds with an observer adjusting the fall of shot until it is on target. This is not displayed on the
map. Then the unit is ordered to fire for effect with all its guns/tubes. This is displayed on the map. This process
takes time. It’s longer the further the distance from the observer ( the requesting unit ) to the target. Typically it can
take between 1 and 10 minutes.
Friendly Units in the BZ

During the bombardment, artillery unit will not fire while friendly units are within the BZ unless the player toggles
this feature off. The reason will be displayed next to the unit in the FireSpt tab. Other reasons why an artillery
bombardment may not take place include the firing unit being too suppressed, out of ammo, out of range, too close,
not deployed, not ready or not yet registered on the target.
Bombarding AFVs
In resolving bombardment against AFVs, the number of hits is determined based on the density of AFVs within the
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BZ, the number of rounds being fired, and the terrain effects within the BZ. Hits are then applied randomly across
the AFVs. For each AFV hit, whether or not it is destroyed is based on the number of hits received, the shell weight
and the AFV’s armour protection.
Bombarding Personnel
Bombardment against personnel is resolved en masse. The number of personnel casualties is determined by
factoring in the number of rounds on target, the lethal area of each round, the number of personnel actually within
the BZ, the terrain effects and the deployment status and effectiveness of the target unit. Consequent equipment
losses are then determined and taken from the target unit.
Other Effects of Bombardments

After casualties and equipment losses have been taken from the target units, their suppression level and effectiveness
values are adjusted ( see General (Gen) Tab and Combat Effectiveness ). Ammunition is expended from the
firing units.
The suppression effect of a bombardment can be quite substantial. It can take some time for a unit to fully recover
from suppression, during which it’s ability to move and fire can be heavily restricted.
Airstrikes
These are resolved in a similar manner to bombardments. In determining the BZ, the point of impact and the
direction of strike are also factored in. Aerial bombs are much bigger than artillery shells and so can have quite a
large burst radius. Fortunately for the target, there are usually fewer bombs in an airstrike than there are shells in
the average bombardment!
Characteristics of Airstrikes
As a general rule each airstrike delivers approx 1000 kilos of bombs and / or rockets. This equates to around 40
medium howitzer rounds. It has an effective bombardment radius of 100m from the point of impact. This can be
up to 50m away from the specified target location. So to be safe ensure friendly troops are at least 150m away from
the target location!
 Unlike artillery, there is no friendly observer to call a halt to the airstrike once committed – friendly units
in the wrong place may suffer damage as a result
Effects of Airstrikes
Airstrikes have a very severe affect on the target’s effectiveness values. Historically, units suffering airstrikes took
a long time to recover and regroup. The shock effect was more dramatic than any actual damage inflicted. That is
why they were so effective at breaking up attacks and dislodging otherwise resolute defenders.
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Night, Weather and Visibility

The main impact of both night and adverse weather conditions is on visibility. Visibility in turn affects the spotting
of enemy units and the rate of movement. The poorer the visibility, the less reliable your reports of enemy units
become, and the slower your units move.
In clear weather, visibility is worst at night, about 50% at dusk and dawn and maximum during the day. Rain, Snow
and Fog also reduce visibility from a little to a lot, depending on how heavy the rain or snow is and how thick the
fog is.
 To avoid detection move formations at night

However, moving units at night fatigues them faster than it does during the day. Poor ground conditions such as
snow and mud reduces movement rates of all units.
Victory
Victory in CO: BFTB depends on your success in achieving your Objectives ( see Objectives ). Victory is measured
in terms of Victory Points (VPs). These are awarded for completing an objective, for occupying an objective, for
exiting units and for destroying the enemy. However, victory is relative – your successes can be diminished or even
surmounted by those of the enemy.
Your current progress is shown on the Victory Meter ( see Victory Meter ). Each minute of the
game, your VP total is determined and then compared with that of the other side to determine the
current victory level and this is then shown on the Victory Meter. In doing so, it presumes you will
be awarded completion VPs ( see Completion and Occupation ) for any currently held objective –
in other words, it reflects the level of victory you would be awarded if the game ended this minute.
Of course things rarely stay the same in a battle situation.
 Where the enemy is gaining Occupation VP from an objective, the Victory Meter will often show an
over-optimistic picture of your situation
A maximum of 100 VPs can be gained, even though the total available may exceed 100. This may mean you do
not have to achieve all assigned objectives. Which objectives you focus on is up to you!
Table 12 - Victory Levels
The victory level is determined by subtracting the enemy’s VP
total (capped at 100, just like yours) from the friendly VP total. Victory Level Your VP minus Enemy VP
The result determines your level of victory in accordance with the Decisive Victory 51 to 100
following table: Marginal Victory 16 to 50
During the game, an AI-controlled enemy may offer to surrender Draw -15 to 15
if it believes it has decisively lost and it has negligible chance Marginal Defeat -16 to -50
of recovery. Conversely, you can offer to surrender to your Decisive Defeat -51 to -100
opponent.
 The side that surrenders will receive no VPs; the other side will receive 100 VPs
For details on surrendering and accepting offers of surrender see Offer or Accept Surrender.
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Interface – Screen by Screen
Startup Screen
At the lower right of the screen there are four options – New Game, Load Game, Host Game and Join Game.
Moving the mouse pointer over the text of each option highlights the text in red. Click on it to select it.
Select New to start a new scenario, Load to load a saved game, Host to host a multiplayer networked game and
Join to join a multiplayer networked game.
Select About to view the About Box and Quit to exit the application.
See Basics for more details on the Startup Screen.
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GAME MANUAL
Single-Player Windows
Scenario Selection Window
This appears after you click the New button on the Startup Screen. Select a scenario from the list and its details will
be listed in the scrolling text box below. Select OK to confirm. See Select Scenario for more details.
Game Options Window
Click on the Play As button to select the side you wish to play. The Begin Scenario button will begin the game –
surprise, surprise! – while the Cancel button returns you to the Startup Screen. The other controls on this window
allow you to set up the scenario options – see Set Scenario Options.
Weather Options
Click one of the four weather option buttons to select that option. Historical Weather recreates the same weather
conditions that were historically experienced. Seasonal Weather provides weather conditions that are the norm
for the period and place of the battle.
Better Weather will mean less rain, fog, and snow, while Worse Weather will mean more adverse weather.
Reinforcement Options
Select the reinforcement option for each side by clicking on the Axis and Allies Reinforcement buttons. There
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can be up to four options for
each side’s reinforcements
– Standard, Favour Axis,
Favour Allies and No
Reinforcements.
In historical scenarios, the

Standard option reflects the
historical arrival times and
strengths of units. In other
scenarios, the Standard
option attempts to be
evenly balanced. Selecting
Favour Allies for the Allied
reinforcement option will add
extra Allied units, or make
them arrive earlier; selecting
it for the Axis reinforcement
option will remove or delay
the Axis reinforcements.
The same pattern applies
to the Favour Axis option.
The No Reinforcements
option means exactly that, no
reinforcements.
For each option, there may be multiple schedules (created by the scenario developer). Having selected an option
the computer will then select a schedule at random from the appropriate list of schedules. You will not know
which schedule you have until the game starts, and even then, you will only know the schedule for your side. This
keeps you guessing and adds to the replay value of the scenarios. Even in the historical scenarios, even though
the Standard schedule only reflects the historical arrival times and locations, the Favour Allies and Favour Axis
schedules will often mix things up to provide an extra challenge.
Supply Options
Select the supply option for each side by clicking on the Axis and Allies Supply buttons. In general, there will be
three options for each side’s supply – Historical, More Supply and Less Supply.
As you can imagine, the Historical option provides the amount of supplies the side historically received, while
Less Supply means less ammo, less fuel and less food and More Supply means more of everything.
Regardless of which supply option you select, your base units will still have to stockpile, manage, and distribute
supplies to your force.
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Multiplayer Windows
See Play a Multi-Player Game for more information about using these windows.
Multiplayer Host Setup
This appears after selecting Host from the Startup Screen. Enter the name
you want displayed to your opponent and hit OK.
Multiplayer Client Setup
This appears after selecting Join from the Startup Screen. Enter the name
you want displayed to your opponent, the IP address of the Host and hit
OK. For details on obtaining the IP address see Get Connected.
Network Game Setup
This will vary according to

whether you are the Host or Client.
Essentially, only the Host can
choose and configure the game and
determine which side each player
will control. Hence, the Client has no
active buttons, except for Cancel.
Both players can communicate by

messages while on this screen – see
Exchange Chat.
The Host can select Choose Scenario

or Choose Saved Game to select the
scenario or saved game you want
to play (see Setup Mulitplayer
Game). Select the desired weather,
reinforcement and supply schedules
to configure the game. This is just
like setting up a single-player game;
see Set Scenario Options and Game
Options Window for details.
Set the sides each player will control by clicking on the Side Selection buttons. Either button will swap sides.
The Client must wait for the Host to set things up.
When the Host is ready, the Host hits Begin Game to start.
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Battlemap
The Battlemap displays map
terrain features. See Use the
Battlemap for information on
how to overlay a 1km grid to
give you an idea of scale, zoom
the map in and out and scroll
around it, check the terrain type
at any location, and check the
visibility between locations.
On top of the map are displayed

the unit icons – see Unit Icons.
When you select a unit, its task,
routes, waypoints and occupied
area will be shown. Your side’s
objective icons can also be
displayed.
Range rings will also appear

around the select unit when you
select the Fire or Bombard orders
or set them to display using
the Display Toolbar. The green
ring represents the max anti-
personnel firepower (APerFP)
range. The red ring represents
the max anti-armour firepower
(AArmFP) range. The blue ring
is the max bombardment range and the black ring is the minimum bombardment range.
As units fire, you will also see yellow, red, and grey fire lines emanating from the unit firing toward the target. The
yellow lines are for APerFP, the red for AArmFP, and the grey lines for indirect fire. Thicker lines indicate heavy
fire.
Messages will also appear in the top left of the Battlemap. Normal priority messages have yellow text, while high
priority messages have red text. You can select messages and the units that send them – see Navigate Messages.
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GAME MANUAL
Dialogs
Dialogs come in two types, standard dialogs and data dialogs. The main difference is that data dialogs
require a selected game entitiy from the map to display anything - ie a selected force icon, order icon,
plan task icon or crossing icon. Whereas a standard dialog does not requirea current selection. We will
start with the standard dialogs.
Controls Dialog
Stratmap and Zoomer Control
The Stratmap provides a snapshot of the whole map area.

Units appear on the Stratmap as brightly coloured dots
– green for friendly units and red for enemy units. The
area of the Battlemap currently displayed is indicated by
a white/black Viewable Area rectangle in the Stratmap.
The Battlemap has six different scales or zoom levels.

The red notch on the Zoomer Control indicates the
current zoom level. To change levels, simply click on
one of the other notches. Alternatively, click on the + or
- magnifying glass buttons at either end of the Zoomer
Control to zoom in or out one level. You can also zoom
in/out using the central mouse scroller or the Zoom tool,
which is activated by holding down the Alt key

and left clicking to zoom in and right clicking to zoom
out.
You can use the Stratmap and the Zoomer Control just below it to
navigate around the Battlemap – see Pan and Zoom the Battlemap.
Weather Display
This displays the ground and air conditions prevailing at the current
time. Hold your mouse over the display to get extra information ( see
Check the Weather ).
Victory Meter
This gauge indicates the level of victory you would obtain if the game
were to end now. When the needle is near the middle notch, it is a Draw. The notches either side mark a
Minor Defeat or Minor Victory, while the extreme left notch is a Decisive Defeat and the extreme right
one a Decisive Win – see Victory.
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Day/Time
This displays the current game time. “Day #” indicates the number of days since the start of the scenario, while
“##:##” is the time, expressed in the 24 hour format. Roll over the mouse to get a full date/time display,
Run Buttons
The five Run Buttons are (from left): Pause, Run Slow, Run Normal, Run Fast and Run Until. If you find the
pace a little too fast to react and give your orders, then hit the Run Slow button or Pause if you need time to do a
full replan. See Set Game Speed and Pause.
Pressing Space key while running will pause the game. Pressing it while paused will start the game
running at whatever the previous speed setting was – i.e. the space bar toggles between pause and play.
Pressing the < key will decrease the speed by one level. Pressing the > key will increase it one
level.
A multiplayer game will run at the slowest speed set by the players –if you set it to Normal, but your opponent sets
it to Slow, the game will run at Slow. If your opponent ups the speed to Fast, the game will run at Normal ( since
that’s what you have set ). See Speed in Multi-Player Games.
Run Until Window
Use the Run Until button to specify a time that the game will run to using
the fastest possible speed. This will reduce the number of refresh frames. In
smaller scenarios this may appear a little jerky. For details see Run Until
While running both the Fastest and the Run Until buttons will be depressed. Roll over the Run Until button to see
the time specified – ie at which time it will pause the game.
Orders Dialog
This contains the buttons for each Order type on the left.
These will only be highlighted when you select a unit
and only those that the unit has the capability to perform.
Selecting one of these changes the mouse pointer to the
specific order cursor. Use this to issue an order to the
selected unit(s) – see Issue Orders
In the centre at the bottom is the Reattach button, which

is highlighted if the selected unit is not under direct
command of its organic superior. Use it to reattach the
unit to its organic superior. See Reattach Units.
At the top right is the Airstrike button, below which are fields that show the minimum and maximum time
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GAME MANUAL
remaining when strikes are available. The Airstrike button displays the number of strikes currently available.
Select it to launch an air strike – see Target an Airstrike.
At the bottom right is the Cancel button used to revert the mouse pointer to the default Arrow cursor used for
selection. Hold the mouse pointer over a button to see a Tool Tip showing the keyboard shortcut for that button.
Tools Dialog
This contains three rows of Path tools on the left. The

top row is for generating quickest ( Q ), shortest ( S )
and covered ( C ) paths for motorised units. The second
row does the same for non-motorised or foot units and
the third row does the same for the currently selected
unit. In addition it also has two additional path tools for
generating avoidance ( A ) and safest ( SF ) paths. There
is also a Duration box that provides an estimate of how
long it will take to complete the path. For details on how
to use these see Determine Best Path.
The LOS button enables the Direct line of sight tool

while the LOS Area button enables the Area line of sight tool. See Assess Line Of Sight (LOS).
The TLOS button enables the Threat Line Of Sight tool. See Check for Enemy Threats.
The Cancel button is used to revert the mouse pointer to the default Arrow cursor used for selection.
Hold the mouse pointer over a button to see a Tool Tip showing the keyboard shortcut for that button.
Options Window
Use the Volume control to adjust the in-

game sound volume ( see Set Sound
Volume ).
Use the checkboxes to turn on or off the

various options.
Autoscroll at Map Edge – when checked,

the map will scroll if you move the mouse
pointer to the edge of the screen.
Reverse Mouse Zoom – when checked

the map will zoom in when the centre
mouse wheel/button is rotated towards
you and zoom out when rotated away
from you. When unchecked it works in
the opposite direction.
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Antialias Map if Possible – will draw the map using anti-aliasing. This makes for smoother lines. On some low-
end machines, this may slow down the game. If so, uncheck it.
Use Military Symbols – when checked displays the standard military symbols on the unit icons. When unchecked
it replaces these with picture symbols.
Auto Scale Force Icons - when checked, unit icons will get smaller for lower level units as you zoom out - eg
platoons and companies may appear as small icons when the whole map is in view. Zoom in and they will scale
up to their full size.
Extended Force Icons - when checked and the map is zoomed in units will have additional
Unit Infor Boxes drawn to the right of their normal icon.
Force Footprint Style - choose either box, filled box, rounded, filled
& rounded to set the way the unit footprint is drawn on the map.
Force Icon Style - is not active at the moment and can be ignored.
Auto-Save – will automatically save the game every 5 minutes of real time. You may
notice a slight pause when this happens. It will save up to ten saved game files numbered
#1 to #10 and then cycle back through these overwriting the earlier save.
Hide Game Control Box - is reduntant and can be ignored,
Rest after Bombard – when checked, artillery units will switch to Rest after completing a Bombard order. If
unchecked, artillery units will switch to Defend after completing a Bombard order, in which case the unit may then
be automatically tasked to provide On Call support. See Provide On Call Support and Manage Fire Support.
No Rest by Default - when checked sets the default Rest type for orders you issue to be “No Rest”.
Retake Position When Defending - when checked, if you issue a defend order the Retake Checkbox will be
checked by default.
Objectives (Obj) Dialog
The Obj dialog shows a list of the

objectives you need to achieve to win
the game. The text is coloured green if
the objective is currently achieved. At
the end of each line in the list is the
maximum number of victory points
( VPs ) that you can earn for this
objective along with a vertical progress
bar, used to indicate how much of this
total you have achieved to date.
When you select an objective from the

list, its data is displayed on the right.
This consists of the timings and a
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GAME MANUAL
breakdown of the VPs currently held and potentially available for occupying and / or completing the objective.
See Work Out What You Have to Do to Win and Objectives.
Briefing ( Brf ) Dialog
The Briefing Dialog displays the scenario briefing.

Normally this will contain the Initial Orders Delay
that applies, a Side Briefing (containing information
not available to the other side), followed by a
Scenario Briefing ( which is visible to both sides
). If no Side Briefing is provided by the scenario
designer, then there will be just the Scenario Briefing
( see Review Your Briefings ).
Reinforcement ( Reinf ) Dialog
The Reinforcement Dialog contains a list of each

reinforcement group that is scheduled to arrive for your
side. Each entry displays the unit icon for the senior unit
of the group, the earliest and latest arrival times and the
method of arrival ( i.e. by parachute, glider, aircraft or
ground ).
When you select an entry in the reinforcement list, its

data is displayed below ( number of Personnel, AFVs
and Guns to the left and the anti-personnel, anti-armour
and bombardment firepower values to the right ) – see
Identify Your Reinforcements.
If you double click the entry an icon will be drawn on

the Battlemap showing where it arrives ( if need be the
Battlemap will be automatically scrolled to display the
arrival location ).
186
Supply ( Sup ) Dialog
The Supply Dialog displays a graph of the daily

supply schedule. This shows how much of the
side’s daily resupply requirements are going to
be met. This can be viewed in three ways using
the Graph Type buttons below the graph.
For details see Review Supply Arrival

Schedule.
Fire Support ( FS ) Dialog
The FireSupport Dialog contains a list of all

bombard capable artillery units under your
direct command. Selecting a unit from the list displays its
data below. Use this to quickly locate and order your fire
support units. See Bombard the Enemy.
Order of Battle ( OB ) Dialog
The Order of Battle Dialog contains a tree list showing all your
units currently on the map in their organic command structure.
The more senior a unit is, the closer to the root level it will be
shown. You can use the + and - symbols to expand and
collapse branches in the display, and you can select units from
the display and issue orders to them. The structure displayed
depends on the Force Structure type set on the Display toolbar -
Organic, Player or Current. See Use the Order of Battle ( OB
) Display.
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GAME MANUAL
Message ( Msg ) Dialog
The Message Dialog contains a

list of all messages to the player
from this session of play, including
those filtered out from display on
the Battlemap. Selecting a message
in the list will select the sender and
if necessary scroll the map to bring
their icon into view. Messages can
be filtered by priority using the
filter buttons below the list. See
View Mesages
Plan Dialog
The Plan dialog displays a list of the orders the players has
issued. Selecting an item in the list highlights the order on the
map. Double-clicking the item will bring the order icon into
view.
188
Force Data View (FD) Dialog
This is one of the four data dialogs that require you to select a specific game entity
from the map. In this case they relate to the forces.
At the top is the unit name field. Below that on the left is the Task/Reaction field
and to the right the Action/Deployment field. Below these are the six force data tab
views. For details see Force Data Display.
General ( Gen ) Tab

The General Tab (see Gen Tab) has indicator bars for a range of dynamic and
static values. Below these are the unit’s strength, firepower and other values along
with its current move rate, terrain and role fields. If the unit has subordinates then
a second column of values will appear for the entire force.
Equipment and Supply ( E&S ) Tab

The Equipment and Supply Tab ( see E&S Tab ) shows a list of the principal
equipment and supplies currently held by the unit.
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GAME MANUAL
Command ( Cmd ) Tab

The Command Tab ( see Cmd Tab ) provides details
about the unit’s commander and staff, including their
ratings, and also contains information about the current
orders delay affecting the unit and its subordinates.
Depot ( Dep ) Tab

The Depot Tab ( see Dep Tab ) either displays the
unit’s supplying Base – ie the Base on which it draws its
supplies – or if the unit is a Base itself it displays a whole
range of data relating to its integrated Depot, including
the stock on hand, transport capacity, resupply requests,
transport columns and drawing units.
History ( Hist ) Tab

The History Tab ( see Hist Tab ) contains a brief history
of the unit. This is not displayed for all units.
Event Log ( Log ) Tab

The Log Tab ( see Log Tab ) provides a list of recent
events and status changes affecting the unit.
190
Task Edit (TE) Data Dialog
To view and change the settings for an order you

have given, select the force you gave the order to
and then select the Order Icon on the Battlemap.
For details see Specify Order Settings and Select
an Order.
Task View (TV) Data Dialog
This is similar to the Order data but appears when you click on the grey Unit Task
icon. This represents the task the unit is actually performing, rather than the order
it has been issued (if any). You have no control over this task – so it’s read only.
For details see Unit Tasks.
Crossing Point (CP) Data Dialog
The Crossing Point dialog shows the type of crossing, its status and a progress bar
if it being constructed or primed.
191
GAME MANUAL
Toolbar
The Toolbar contains various types of buttons. The display filter buttons enable you to make quick changes to the
elements displayed on the Battlemap. The dialog buttons allow you to open or dismiss the various dialogs. The
All button allows you to show/hide all dialogs. The Filler space varies according to the screen size but otherwise
does nothing. The Toolbar also contains the Menu, Surrender/AAR and Minimise buttons. For details see Use the
Display Toolbar.
The AAR/Victory Screen

This appears at the end of a game, whether you win or lose. A short message from your commander is at the top. The
amount of victory points (VPs) awarded to both sides is provided along with details of each side’s losses, expressed
in terms of men, AFVs and guns. The number of enemy units destroyed by Fire, Surrender or Disbandment is also
listed. The two other columns provide a breakdown of how your Personnel and AFV casualtyies were caused.
Select the “Review

Final Situation”
button to return to the
Battlemap, from where
you can peruse the
final deployments and
condition of the units.
While reviewing, you
can re-open the AAR
Screen by selecting
AAR from the Toolbar.
When you are finished,
select “Leave Game”
from the Game Menu.
Note you can save

the game during this
review. That way you
can preserve a copy of
the AAR screen.
Select the “End Game”

button to exit straight
away to the Startup
Screen.
192
Modding
CO2 has been designed to support community modding in a number of key areas.
Scenarios and Maps

Included with the game are the professional tools used by Panther Games to create the maps and scenarios for
CO2, namely the MapMaker and ScenMaker applications. Detailed manuals are also provided to help you create
new battlefields and new battles!
We strongly recommend that you should not modify any of the official maps or scenarios as doing so will break
your game for online play. If you want to create a new version of the official maps or scenarios, we recommend
saving your work under a new name so that the original will still be available for you to battle online.
Graphics
To modify the graphics used to
display different terrain types:
 Copy the CmdOps/

Graphics/Map/Default
directory
 Rename it – eg My Map
Graphics
 Open the MapPat.

bmp, MapPatA.bmp
and MapKey.bmp files,
located within the new
directory, in your favourite
paint program
 Modify them to your hearts content
 Save them
 Open the desired map(s) in the MapMaker application
 Select Map Data from the Map menu
 Select the Browse button at the bottom of the Map Data dialog
193
GAME MANUAL
 Navigate to and select your new directory
 Click OK
 Save the map
You can do this with no special tools; Microsoft Paint® is sufficient. The MapPat.bmp file contains the colours and
shapes for the terrain graphics. The MapPatA.bmp file indicates how transparent different areas on each graphic
should be. White areas in the MapPatA.bmp file indicate completely opaque areas, black areas indicate complete
transparency, and shades of grey indicate partially transparent areas. The MapKey.bmp file contains the graphics
displayed in the MapMaker terrain key list and in the Terrain popup used in the Game.
It is a good idea to create a backup of your original map graphics files before making modifications, so you can
easily go back to the defaults if you want.
Changing the map graphics will have no negative effect on online play.
Sounds
The sounds played by CO2 through the game are located in the CmdOps/Sounds/InGame directory. You can
replace these sounds with your own. Sounds are grouped by function and type, making it pretty easy to tell what
sounds go where.
We recommend that you create a backup of any sounds you want to replace, in case you later decide to go back to
the originals.
Changing the sounds will have no negative effect on online play.
194
Annex A – Keyboard Shortcuts
Orders
Attack
Bombard
Secure Crossing
Defend
Delay
Exit
Fire
Move
Probe
Reorg
Construct Bridge
Withdraw
Deny Crossing
Rest
Other Tools
Cancel - revert to selection tool (also double-click on empty map space)

Airstrike
LOS tool Direct
LOS tool Area
TLOS tool
Reattach
Map Zoom
Zoom in one level – zooms out if Reverse Mouse Zoom option is set
Zoom out one level – zooms in if Reverse Mouse Zoom option is set
Zoom in one level
+
Zoom out one level
+
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GAME MANUAL
Unit Icon Info Box Display
Task
Rout Status
Strength
Combat Power
Deployment / Facing
Morale / Cohesion / Fatigue
Ammo / Arty Ammo / Basics / Fuel / Supply Line
Friendly Unit Filters
All units
HQ units
Line ( combat ) units
Support units / Bases
Armour units
Mech Inf units
Soft units
Gun units / Gun units that can Bombard
Engineer units
Bridge units
Units without orders
Units with orders
Units with recent log entries (< 1 hour old)
Reports
Go to previous report
Go to next report
Go to last report
Select and / or go to location of current report
196
Selection
Select superior of selected unit

Select previous subordinate of selected unit’s superior
Select next subordinate of selected unit’s superior
Select first subordinate of selected unit
+ Add to selection
+ Add to selection
+ Invert selection (i.e. Selects if not already selected or deselects if already selected)
+ Toggle select Order/Unit
+ Toggle select Unit Task/Unit
General
Chat (multiplayer only)

Cancel - revert to mouse selection pointer (also double-click on empty map space)
Toggle Pause / Run (reverts to previous speed setting)
Increase Play Speed one level
Decrease Play speed one level
Go to selected unit in OB Display
Go to selected unit in Fire Support ( FS ) Tab

Show / hide 1km Map Grid
Show / hide units and eliminated units
Show / hide objectives
Cycle Intel display
Delete currently selected task or waypoint
Cycle through units you have given orders to
+ Cycle through units awaiting orders

Copy the current screen to the clipboard
Show small unit icons
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GAME MANUAL
Annex B – Formation Effects

 Cohn (Cohesion) is the percentage level that a unit will gravitate to when moving. No effect when
stationary.
 Front (Frontage) and Dep (Depth) is in metres per man. This is further modified by the terrain, task
frontage and depth and visibility.
 Firing refers to the percentage of the units personnel that can fire to the front ( F ), left ( L ), right ( R )
or rear ( RR ).
 Target refers to the percentage of the units personnel that can be fired at from the front, left, right or
rear.
 Security refers to how secure (Max, Normal, Min) the unit is from an attack from the front, left, right or
rear.
Firing Target Security

Symbol Name Cohn Front Dep
F L R RR F L R RR F L R RR
Road
90 0.1 3.0 20 30 30 15 25 80 80 25 Min N N Min
Column
Line 70 2.5 1.0 100 20 20 33 80 30 30 80 Max Min Min Min
Successive
60 2.0 1.5 60 40 40 30 40 30 30 40 Max N N Min
Lines
Arrowhead 75 2.0 2.0 60 45 45 30 50 50 50 50 Max N N Min
Left
60 2.0 2.0 70 60 20 20 60 50 40 50 Max N Min Min
Echelon
Right
60 2.0 2.0 70 20 60 20 60 40 50 50 Max Min N Min
Echelon
Vee 50 2.0 2.0 75 30 30 25 50 50 50 50 Max N N Min
All Round
30 2.0 2.0 50 50 50 50 30 30 30 30 N N N N
Defence
In-situ 30 2.0 2.0 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 N N N N
Mob 10 2.0 2.0 10 10 10 10 30 30 30 30 Min Min Min Min
Note Mob is used when routing. You cannot order Mob formation.
198
Annex C – Understanding Military
Symbols
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GAME MANUAL
Annex D – Unit Types and Symbols

Military Symbol Picture Symbol Unit Type
Army Group HQ
Army HQ
Corps HQ
Recce (horse or inf / mot inf / MC)
Glider Recce
Mot Glider Recce
Armour (Hvy / Lt)
Armoured Recon
Armoured Car
Assault Gun
Arty / Mor
Mot Arty / Mor
Self-propelled (SP) Arty
Parachute Arty / Mor
Glider Arty / Mor
Mot Rocket Launcher
SP Rocket Launcher
Inf Gun
Mot Inf Gun
SP Inf Gun
Anti-tank Gun
Mot Anti-tank
SP Anti-tank
Anti-aircraft (flak) (Hvy / Lt)
Mot Anti-aircraft (flak) (Hvy / Lt)
SP Anti-aircraft (flak) (Hvy / Lt)
Infantry
Mot Inf
Mech Inf
Mountain Inf
Glider Inf
Mot Glider Inf
MG
Mot MG
Hvy Inf
Mot Hvy Inf
Special Forces / Commando Inf
Mot Special Forces / Commando Inf
Parachute Inf (Para)
Mot Para
Engineer / Pioneer (Eng)
Mot Eng
SP Eng
Mot Bridging Eng
Base / Supply / Logistics
200
Annex E – Terrain Effects Chart
 Terrain Effects may vary from map to map and are set in the MapMaker application. The values here
are taken from the Hofen map – a typical Ardennes map. Generally the maps are similar except when
the tank barrier (west wall dragon’s teeth) terrain type replaces the fort type since they use the same
symbol.
 Crossing icons are coloured pink when primed and light grey when unprimed.
 Movement effects are expressed in percentage terms of a unit’s current movement rate, which may in
turn be affected by the unit’s fatigue, formation, task movement rate and / or supply. Stream and Creek
Bed are one exception – these act as a modifier on the movement rate of the underlying terrain (so if
the underlying terrain has a movement rate of 60, where there is a stream the rate will be multiplied by
10%, becoming 6). Where a movement rate is 0, that terrain type is impassable.
 Visibility effects are expressed in percentage terms, where the effect is the reduction in visibility for
each 100m through which the line of sight passes. The smaller the value the further one can see
through this terrain. Eg a visibility reduction value of 33% means a line of sight would be blocked after
300m. The values are based on observing a deployed person, vehicle or gun. Units moving and firing
are easier to see.
 Vulnerability effects are expressed in percentage terms and refers to the probability of hitting a deployed
person within the specified terrain from direct fire (rifles, MGs, tank guns etc) and area fire (mortar,
arty and rocket bombardments and air strikes). Many other factors also apply, such as the firing unit’s
posture and effectiveness.
Name Movement Visibility Vulnerability

Mot Non Pers Veh Gun Direct Area
Crossings
Empty Crossing 0 0 - - - - -
Ford or Ferry 0 15 - - - - -
Lt Rd Bridge 18 30 - - - - -
Med Rd Bridge 27 40 - - - - -
Hvy Rd Bridge 36 50 - - - - -
Rail Bridge 0 30 - - - - -
Roads & Rail
Track 35 75 - - - - -
Minor Road 70 100 - - - - -
Road 90 100 - - - - -
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GAME MANUAL
Name Movement Visibility Vulnerability
Road & Rail Mot Non Pers Veh Gun Direct Area
Highway 100 100 - - - - -
Railway 5 75 - - - - -
Dikes
Dike or Breakwater 0 20 - - - - -
Rivers & Water
Stream or Creek Bed 18 25 - - - - -
Minor River or River Bed 0 5 - - - - -
Major River or Sea 0 0 - - - - -
Lake or Sea 0 0 - - - - -
Fort
Tank Barrier 0 37 25 13 6 61 50
Urban
Village 36 41 25 16 10 61 81
Town 25 31 33 20 13 41 61
City 18 20 50 34 25 20 41
Industrial 25 31 25 16 10 41 61
Factory 18 35 50 50 50 41 61
Vegetation
Heide 35 50 6 3 2 - -
Orchard 10 37 25 13 10 90 -
Lt Woods 20 40 10 5 4 81 -
Woods/Forest 0 30 50 50 50 41 115
Ground
Airfield 100 100 5 3 2 - -
Beach 7 50 25 5 4 80 80
Marsh 0 20 10 3 2 61 61
Broken 0 37 25 13 8 61 50
Polder 9 35 20 5 4 41 41
Clear 35 50 - - - - -
202
Annex F – Other Tables
Table 1 – Prime Crossing Times Table 2 – Construct Crossing Times
Crossing Type Time to Prime Crossing Type Time to Construct
Ferry or Ford 2 hours Light Road Bridge 10 hours
Light Road Bridge 4 hours Medium Road Bridge plus 20 hours
Medium Road Bridge plus 8 hours Heavy Road Bridge plus 40 hours
Table 4 – Standard Stock Levels
Rail Bridge plus 16 hours
Unit Size Stock Level (in days)
Army 20
Table 3 – Crossing Construction Personnel Cap
Corps 10
Crossing Type Personnel Cap
Division 7
Light Road Bridge 600 men
Brigade 4
Medium Road Bridge 900 men
Battalion 2
Heavy Road Bridge 1200 men
Company 2
Platoon 1
Section 1
Table 5 - Standard Orders Delay Table 6 - Standard Command Range

Force Size Mot Non-Mot Force Size Mot Mot Non-mot Non-mot
Duration Duration Eff Range Max Range Eff Range Max Range
Army Group 150 200 Army Group 60,000 80,000 45,000 60,000
Army 120 160 Army 37,500 50,000 28,000 37,500
Corps 80 110 Corps 18,750 25,000 14,000 18,750
Division 60 80 Division 12,000 16,000 9,000 12,000
Bde/Regt 40 60 Bde/Regt 6,000 8,000 4,500 6,000
Bn 30 40 Bn 3,000 4,000 3,000 3,000
Company 20 30 Company 1,500 2,000 1,125 1,500
Platoon 20 30 Platoon 750 1,000 550 750
Squad/Section 20 30 Squad/Section 375 500 280 375
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GAME MANUAL
Table 7 - Military Structure Names and Sizes
Symbol Unit Size Men (Approx) British British British American German and
Infantry Armor Artillery Italian
XXX 2+ Divs 20000-40000 Corps Corps Corps Corps
XX 2-3 Bdes 10000-20000 Div Div Div Div
X 2-3 Bns 1000-2000 Bde Bde
III 2-3 Bns 1000-2000 Regt Regt
III 3-5 Sqns / Btys 400-800 Regt Regt
II 3-5 Coys 400-800 Bn Bn / Gp Bn / Gp
I 3-4 Pls 100-160 Coy Sqn Bty Coy / Sqn / Bty Coy / Sqn / Bty
 2-4 Sects 30-40 Pl Tp Tp Pl / Tp Pl
 5-10 men 5-10 Sect Sect Sect Sect Sqd
3-4 vehicles
3-4 guns
Table 8 - Unit Icon Colours
Background Text Service and Branch

Grey Black German Army
White German SS
Black Olive German Greif Combat troops
Orange Dutch SS
Blue Light Blue German Air Force
Blue Black German Airborne
Dark Blue Light Blue German Navy
Olive Black United States Army
Dark Olive Cream United States Airborne
Dark Red British Army
Light Brown
Cream British Guards
Red Yellow British Airborne
Light Grey Red Polish Airborne
Orange Black Dutch Army
Red Yellow Belgian Army
204
Table 9 - Rout Status
Icon Status Meaning
OK Units actively carrying out orders
Halted Units temporarily stopped due to enemy resistance
Retreating Unit pulling back to safety due to heavy enemy fire
Retreat Recovery Retreated unit preparing to return to the advance
Routing Unit fleeing in disarray with broken morale
Rout Recovery Routed unit recovering morale, preparing to rejoin battle
Table 10 – Deployment Status Table 11 – Standard Reassessment Times

Icon Deployment Status Unit Size Reassessment Time ( hours )
Undeployed (standing or walking) Army 24
Taking Cover Corps 24
Deployed Division 12
Dug-In Brigade 6
Entrenched Battalion 4
Fortified Company 2
Table 12 - Victory Levels

Victory Level Your VP minus Enemy VP
Decisive Victory 51 to 100
Marginal Victory 16 to 50
Draw -15 to 15
Marginal Defeat -16 to -50
Decisive Defeat -51 to -100
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GAME MANUAL
Glossary
 In the table below, (F) indicates a French term, and (G) indicates a German term. Non-English terms
are italicised.
Abbreviation Full Term or Translation Meaning

(r) (russisch) (G) German designation for captured Russian equipment
(t) (tsechoslowakisch) (G) German designation for captured Czechoslovakian equipment
AA Anti-Aircraft
AArmFP Anti-Armour Firepower Measures a unit’s ability to destroy armoured vehicles with direct fire
Abn Airborne Troops deploying to the battle area by parachute or glider
AC Armoured Car Wheeled AFVs
AFV Armoured Fighting Vehicle
AG Assault Gun Tracked AFV with no turret and a limited-traverse main armament
mounted in the hull, intended for close support of infantry
Aggro Aggression
AI Artificial Intelligence
Airmobile Troops or units deploying to the battle area by air (can be air landing,
glider, or parachute)
AL Air Landing Troops deploying to the battle area by transport aircraft
AP Armour-Piercing Ammunition intended to penetrate and destroy armoured vehicles
APerFP Anti-Personnel Firepower Measures a unit’s ability to kill unprotected personnel with direct fire
Arm Armour(ed) Tank unit or measure of a unit’s armoured protection
Armee (G) Army
Arty Artillery
Aslt Assault
AT Anti-Tank
ATR Anti-Tank Rifle Heavy rifle intended for infantry use against tanks
Au Australian Australian units
Bde Brigade
Bn Battalion
BombFP Bombard Firepower Measures a unit’s ability to suppress and damage the enemy with
indirect fire
Bty Battery or Batterie (G) Company-size artillery unit
BZ Bombardment Zone The area of effect of indirect fire like artillery bombardments or
airstrikes
cal Calibre Indicates the diameter of projectile fired by a weapon
Canon (F) Gun
Carrier Light, open-topped, tracked AFV used to carry infantry
206
Cav Cavalry Horsed infantry (except for United States Cav which were a mix of
light tanks and mechanised or motorised infantry), usually used for
recce
Cdo Commando Army units in a naval raiding role
Commonwealth Collective name for countries and units of the British Commonwealth,
including British, Australian, New Zealand, and Maltese units
Coy Company
Cruiser British designation for tanks intended for fast exploitation and combat
against other tanks
CS Close Support British designation for tanks intended to provide smoke or HE support
for Cruiser tanks
cwt Hundredweight British measurement of truck capacity equal to 112lb or 51kg
Det Detachment
Div Division
Eng Engineer
Fallsch Fallschirm (G) Parachute units other than parachute infantry
Fallschirmbrigade (G) Parachute Brigade
FBB Führer Begleit Brigade Armored Brigade formed from elements of the GD Division origionally
established to protect Hitler’s HQ “Wolfschanze”
Fd Field or Feld (G) Artillery units or guns with a calibre of 76-105mm, or a standard Allied
engineer unit
Fd Park Field Park Allied engineer heavy-equipment unit
Feldersatz Field Replacement An attached training batallion used in German Infantry divisions to
provide a ready source of replacements
FGB Führer Grenadier Brigade Armored Brigade formed from elements of the GD Division and “outer
guard” of Hitler’s HQ “Wolfschanze”
FH Feldhaubitze (G) Field Howitzer (see How)
FJ Fallschirmjaeger (G) Parachute infantry
Flak Fliegerabwehrkanone (G) Anti-aircraft unit or gun (literally “aircraft defence gun“)
Flieger (G) Airborne
FT Flamethrower
FUP Forming Up Point Location where assaulting units move into attack formation and reorg
for the assault
GD Grössdeutschland (G) Greater Germany
GMC Gun Motor Carriage Designation given to US tank destroyers
Geb Gebirgs (G) Mountain units (except for mountain infantry)
GebG Gebirgsgeschuetz (G) Mountain gun
GebH Gebirgshaubitze (G) Mountain howitzer
GJ Gebirgsjaeger (G) Mountain infantry units
Gp Group or Gruppo (It) Unit size, usually equivalent to a battalion
Grenadier Infantry (G)
Gun Artillery piece (in specific terms an artillery piece firing on a low
trajectory, often used interchangeably with “howitzer“)
HAA Heavy Anti-Aircraft
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GAME MANUAL
HE High Explosive Explosive ammunition intended for use against unarmoured targets
HHour Start time of the critical phase in a plan, usually the assault in an
attack
HMC Howitzer Motor Carriage Designation given to US self propelled artillery
HMG Heavy Machine Gun
How Howitzer Artillery piece firing on a high trajectory (often used interchangeably
with „gun“)
HQ Headquarters
HT Half-Track
Hvy Heavy Infantry units equipped primarily with crew-served weapons, or
artillery units or guns with a calibre of 203mm or greater
IG Infanteriegeschuetz (G) Infantry Gun – a light artillery piece operated by infantry units for
direct fire
Inf Infantry
Intel Intelligence
JgdPz jagdpanzer Tank Destroyer (lierally “hunting tank”)
K Kanone (G) Long-range gun
Kampftrupp (G) Battle Troop Small battlegroup
Kettenkrad Kettenkraftrad (G) German half-track motorcycle
KG Kampfgruppe (G) Battlegroup
kl klein (G) Small
Kompanie (G) Company
KOMR King’s Own Malta Regt Maltese infantry units
Korps (G) Corps
Krad Kraftrad (G) Motorcycle units
Kuebelwagen (G) Jeep
KwK Kampfwagenkanone (G) AFV gun
L Length Indicates length of gun in multiples of the calibre
LAA Light Anti-Aircraft
LAH Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler (G) Hitler’s bodyguard unit
LAN Local Area Network
LeFH leichte Feldhaubitze (G) Light howitzer
leGebG leichtes Gebirgsgeschuetz (G) Light mountain gun
leGrW leichtes Granatwerfer (G) Light mortar
leIG leichtes Infanteriegeschuetz (G) Light infantry gun (see IG)
LG Leichtgeschuetz (G) Recoilless rifle (literally “light gun”)
LLSt Luftlande Sturmregiment (G) Air Landing Storm Regiment
LMG Light Machine Gun
LOS Line Of Sight
LRC Light Recce Car Light armoured car used for recce
208
Lt Light Tanks with a low vehicle weight or light armament, or artillery units or
guns with a calibre of up to 75mm
LW Luftwaffe (G) German Air Force
MC Motorcycle
Mdm Medium Artillery units or guns with a calibre of 106-202mm
Mech Mechanised Unit mounted entirely in tracked vehicles (usually armoured)
MG Machine Gun
MGMC Machine Gun Motor Carriage
MMG Medium Machine Gun
Mor Mortar Smoothbore weapon launching a finned bomb on a high trajectory
Mot Motorised A unit that can be carried entirely by its own motor vehicles
MP Maschinenpistole (G) SMG (literally “machine pistol“)
Mrs Moerser (G) Heavy howitzer
Mtn Mountain Units or equipment intended for use in mountain terrain
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Post-war alliance of the US and Western European countries
NW Nebelwerfer (G) Mortar or rocket-launcher primarily used to deploy smoke ammunition
(literally “smoke launcher”)
ObjLoc Objective or Order Location Location on the map where an order is to be carried out.
Organic Relating to the usual or standard organisation of units in a military
structure
Pak Panzerabwehrkanone (G) Anti-tank gun (literally “armour defence gun“)
Para Paratroop(er) Soldiers or units deployed to the battle area by parachute
Pl Platoon
Pnr Pioneer or Pionier (G) or Pioneri Engineers, especially those with a combat role
(It)
Portee Artillery piece mounted on a truck so that it can be fired from the truck
or dismounted and fired from the ground
PKW German light utility vehicle
Pz Panzer (G) Tank or armoured
PzB Panzerbuechse (G) ATR (literally “armour rifle”)
PzBefWg Panzerbefehlswagen (G) Armoured command vehicle
Pz Gren Panzergrenadier German mechanized or motorized infantry
PzJg Panzerjaeger (G) Anti-tank (literally “tank hunter”)
PzKw Panzerkampfwagen (G) Tank (literally “armoured fighting vehicle“)
RA Royal Artillery British artillery units
RCT Regimental Combat Team

RE Royal Engineers British engineer units
Recce Reconnaissance
Recon Reconnaissance
Regt Regiment
209
GAME MANUAL
RHA Royal Horse Artillery British artillery units in armoured forces
RM Royal Marine British naval infantry units
Sapper Engineer
SC Scout Car Light armoured car used for recce or liaison
Schtz Schuetzen (G) Early-war German motorised or mechanised troops, usually within Pz
Divs (literally “marksmen”)
SdKfz Sonderkraftfahrzeug (G) German designation for tracked vehicles (literally “special motor
vehicle”)
sFH schwere Feldhaubitze (G) Heavy howitzer
sGrW schweres Granatwerfer (G) Heavy mortar
sIG schweres Infanteriegeschuetz (G) Heavy infantry gun (see IG)
sK schwere Kanone (G) Heavy gun (see K)

SMG Sub Machine Gun
sMG schweres Machinengewehr (G) HMG
SP Self-Propelled Artillery mounted on a motorised or tracked chassis, usually armoured
sPzB schwere Panzerbuechse (G) Heavy ATR
Sqn Squadron
SS Schutzstaffel (G) Units or soldiers of the Nazi Party’s private army
StuG Sturmgeschuetz (G) Assault gun (literally “storm gun”)
StuH SturmHaubitze Howitzer assault gun
Sub… Subordinate Belonging to or part of a larger force or activity
Super… Superior Controlling a larger force or activity
Tp Troop
UK United Kingdom British units
VAK Volksartilleriekorps A group of 5 or 6 large calibre Artillery battalions grouped under a
German Corps HQ
VG Volksgrenadier An honorific title given to some late-war German infantry divisions
(literally “People’s Infantry”)
VW Volkswerfer Similar to the VAK but employing rocket launchers
VP Victory Point
zbV zum besondere Verwendung (G) Special-purpose
210
Credits
Panther Games Team
Dave “Arjuna” O’Connor – Project Management, AI programming, Research, Tutorial Movies and Manuals
Miquel Ramirez - AI and UI programming (CO2)
Paul “Panther Paul” Scobell – Programming
Steve “Golf33” Long – Original Research
Adam “Skirmish” Bryant – Original Programming
Steve “Sos” French – Original Programming
Daniel “Punch” Punch – Original Programming
Xavier Davis – Maps
Sean O’Connor – Maps
Beta Team
Richard “simovitch” Simonitch – Research, Maps and Scenario Design, Manuals, DDT coordination
Bil “Bil H” Hardenberger – Map Graphics
Pieter “tukker” Schouten – Research, Maps and Scenario Design
Mark-Jan “Grouchy” Luppens – Research and Mapping
Paul “Keydet” Van Doren – Research and Scenario Design
Andries “final_drive” Verspeeten – Research and Scenario Design
Rich ‘The Plodder’ Lloyd - SAM Images, Google Earth maps
Eddy “Sterckx” Sterckx – Original Beta testing and technical support
Al “Intel AL” Vannoy – Original Research
Mark “Markshot” Kratzer - Original Beta testing and technical support
Merrill ”HansBolter” Wright - Original Beta testingJames Sterrett
Chaim “tinjaw” Krause
Ray Wolfe - Original Beta testing
Dan “Rooster” Lamb - website
Jean-Francois “JeF” Lucas
Guillaum “Trigger Happy” Gakwaya
Leo “Apollo11” Rogic
Andrew “CriticalMass” Massey
Greg “redmike” Colman
Craig “elcidce” Coker
Rob “jcar” Carpenter
Paul Roberts
John Osbourne
Lock ‘n Load Team

David Heath – publishing and marketing
Blackwell Hird - marketing and web development
Marc von Martial – graphics
Justin Church - installer
211
GAME MANUAL
Caleb King - Support

Darren White - support
212

CO2 Game Manual v1.2

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Game Manual

Dave “Arjuna” O’Connor

Richard “simovitch” Simonitch ,

Mark “MarkShot” Kratzer and

Steve “Golf 33” Long

Hold an Objective 93 Mixed-Mode Movement 151

Run in a Specific Screen Resolution

Command Ops 2™(CO2) is designed to run at one of the 9 preset resolutions

 Locate and open the Command Ops 2 folder

 Duplicate the Command Ops 2 Quick Start shortcut by right-

 Right-click on the new shortcut and select Properties

 “C:\Panther Games\Command Ops 2\CmdOps.exe” ‑resolution 1440x1024

Start a New Single-Player Game

The SAM provides operational context for the scenario,

If there is no SAM for the scenario then the default

 Select the desired scenario from the list and

Set Scenario Options

From the New Scenario Options window:

 Click the Play As button

Set the Orders Delay

 Move the Orders Delay slider to the desired

See Work with Orders Delay and Orders Delay for

Select the Weather Schedule

 Click on one of the four Weather buttons

See Weather Options for more information.

Select the Reinforcement Schedules

 Repeat for the Allies

See Reinforcement Options for details.

Select the Supply Schedules

 Repeat for the Allies

See Supply Options for details.

Start the Game

 Select Begin Scenario

A progress window will appear while the scenario is loaded.

Load a Single-Player Saved Game

Then from the Choose a saved game to play dialog:

 Double-click the desired saved game

 Press Ctrl + S keys + or

 Select Menu from the Display Toolbar and

 Select Save Game from the Game Menu

This will open the Save Game As window.

 Type in the desired file name, or

To automatically save the game every 5 minutes of real time:

 Select Menu from the Display

 Select Options from the Game

 Check the Auto Save box on the

Note that this works in both single and

Play a Multi-Player Game

What You Will Need

So you’ve lined up an opponent and arranged to be the host.

 Select Host from the Startup Screen

 Paste it into an email or instant message and send it to your opponent

 Wait for your opponent to log in

 Select Join from the Startup Screen

The Network Game Setup dialog

Choose New Multiplayer Scenario

For the hosting player, setting up

 Click Choose Scenario

 From the Scenario

This will take you back to the

Choose Multiplayer Saved Game

As an alternative to starting a new multiplayer

 Click Choose Saved Game

 From the Choose a saved Game

Hold an Objective 93 Mixed-Mode Movement 151